The five western lowland gorillas in the Dallas Zoo are being kept away from the public, since one escaped on March 18 and injured three people before being killed by police. The remaining gorillas are stressed from being kept indoors, and zoo officials are trying to ease this with television. The gorillas each have their favorite shows.
The Dallas Morning News reports that fourteen-year-old Patrick likes cartoons, public television, and National Geographic specials, but sports bore him. Keeper Cindy McCaleb says, “We tried to put on sports, even though we were concerned it might generate aggressive behavior, but he really wasn’t interested.”
All the gorillas like Disney cartoons, and “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast” are their favorites. “They don’t follow the story, of course,” says McCaleb. “They like the music, the color and the movement.” Patrick watches more TV than the older gorillas.
Some gorillas prefer radio to TV. “I tend to go classical,” McCaleb says. “It tends to mellow them out.”
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