TIL my local zoo has a 'quiet hour' for animals and it's wild

I went to the Brookfield Zoo last Saturday (not by choice, my niece dragged me along) and noticed signs everywhere for a new program called 'Quiet Hour' every Tuesday morning. They actually turn off the loud speakers, stop the train rides, and ask guests to whisper so the animals don't get stressed. I stood there watching a gorilla just... sit still without pacing for a full 10 minutes (which apparently means it was relaxed, not bored). The zookeeper told me they saw a 40% drop in aggressive behaviors since they started this six months ago. Has anyone else been to a zoo that does something like this? I'm curious if it's just a trend or if more parks are adopting it.

2 comments

2 Comments

hill.barbara9d ago

Wouldn't that just make them jumpy when someone finally sneezes?

grayperez9d ago

Wouldn't desensitizing them just make it worse when the real thing happens though? I feel like if you constantly expose someone to fake sneezes they never learn how to tell the difference. They just end up stressed all the time instead of reacting naturally.