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Research on Primates at the Zoo

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Research on Primates at the Zoo
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A Zoo for a Primate Observation 11/15/2012

For this paper I decided to visit Zoo Atlanta to observe lowland gorillas. I got to the zoo at around eleven in the morning and found out the feeding times for the gorillas. Once I found them, after watching them for a little while I selected the most active group to go watch during feeding. The point of this trip was to make me feel as if I was doing a field laboratory observation of primate social behavior and it definitely did. As you read my paper I will include what I saw, my feelings towards it, and also any questions or facts I received during my visit from volunteers or signs throughout the exhibit. To put this paper into perspective with this anthropology class I will be using five terms that are from chapter seven to relate the field observation. I hope you enjoy my paper, cause I sure enjoyed writing it. At Zoo Atlanta there are four troops of Lowland Gorillas although only three are located on the yards right now. The three different groups are Taz's group, Ozzie's group, and the Bachelor males. While observing the different groups Taz's was the most active and therefore I decided to observe them especially during feeding. Feeding was at two fifteen in the afternoon and the feeder stood on top of the building that had a huge glass window to watch out. A volunteer gave the following information to me or I observed it for myself during my visit. Every group eats about six times a day including snacks. The most important meal being breakfast just like anatomically modern humans is served right before or right as the park opens. This meal is cute up in small pieces and scattered throughout the park so that they must forage for the food since this is what they would have to do in the wild. Before this meal they are served pre-breakfast which is considered a primate chow very similar to what dogs eat made my pedigree. They also get snacks

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