Another gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) recognizes himself in a mirror

Abstract

Various attempts have been made to explain why gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) find it difficult to recognize their mirror image. One of the most oft-cited reasons is aversion to eye contact, which stops gorillas from looking into a mirror and thus prevents them from carrying out a suitable exploration that could lead to self-recognition. In the experimental design used here the subject was first habituated both to observers and to the mirror as an object before being exposed to the latter. The study was performed with a single subject who was well adapted to captivity and exhibited no aberrant behavior or signs of stress. The results revealed that the subject had no aversion to eye contact. He showed considerable interest in the mirror and appeared relaxed when faced with his image. He gave a positive response to the mark test.

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