At Zoo Atlanta, Sukari, a 24-year-old gorilla, draws her caregiver’s attention through a distinctive signal when she anticipates a treat. She parts her lips and emits a sound that stands out as unusually clear in gorilla communication. What Sukari does not realize is that her frequent interactions with humans have given her a new signaling pathway, a rare vocal behavior in the animal kingdom: vocalizing.
Researchers described the voice as a narrow sound, a blend suggesting a sneeze and a cough. From the start, experts noted its striking nature, even if some caregivers dismissed it as a quirk without significance.
Yet the subject drew the attention of researchers Roberta Salmii, Monica Szczupider from the University of Georgia, and Jodi Carrigan of Zoo Atlanta. They wondered whether the vocalization indicated a genuine ability or simply a random sound. The team began to study Sukari and her family to uncover what this so-called unnecessary noise might reveal. The findings appeared in a recent journal article.
image of a gorilla pixabay
To determine if the sound reflected a complex vocal technique, the researchers designed a straightforward experiment. They observed eight gorillas across different situations. In the first scenario, a zookeeper stood nearby without offering food. In the second, food was presented without anyone else present. In the final setup, a keeper approached with food in hand.
Alone in front of the porter who brings food
The investigators found that gorillas vocalize only when a human is present and holding food. The behavior seems to function similarly to a human throat-clearing signal, aimed at attracting attention for a food prize. Interestingly, only half of the group expressed the new sound, and all were adult females. Sukari shares a close bond with her sister Kudzoo and Macy, Kudzoo’s first child.
Gorillas have long shown the ability to distinguish among voices, yet this discovery suggests a higher level of deliberate communication. Sukari and her kin join a small group of animals, including orangutans and chimpanzees, that produce vocalizations directed at humans to convey a purpose.
Further replication of these experiments at other zoos in the United States and in Canada produced similar results. Gorillas in multiple facilities demonstrated the same call, with six individuals using it in response to human cues across different settings.
Gorillas are extremely intelligent animals. pixabay
In the researchers’ view, these observations may indicate that gorillas have learned how these sounds can be effective when interacting with humans. It is also possible that this knowledge travels within primate communities, passed along through observation and practice.
Reference work: PLOS ONE journal article 2023.
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