Why a friendly smile might be a dangerous provocation to a gorilla
In short: In 2007, a famous gorilla named Bokito escaped his enclosure and attacked a visitor. While the event was violent, the cause may have been a profound misunderstanding of primate body language. What humans perceive as a friendly gesture can, in the wild, signal a direct challenge.
Bokito, a male western gorilla who lived much of his life at Diergaarde B/lijdorp in Rotterdam, became an international sensation following his escape on 18 May 2007. During the incident, he leaped over a 3.5-metre-wide water ditch and barbed wire, attacking a woman who frequently visited his enclosure. The attack resulted in bone fractures and over one hundred bite wounds. The incident also caused panic in a nearby restaurant, leading to injuries to three additional people.
The tragedy highlights a significant gap in cross-species communication. The injured woman, a regular visitor, often smiled and made eye contact with Bokito through the glass. While humans use smiling to convey friendliness, primatologists warn that exposing teeth can be interpreted by gorillas as an aggressive display or a challenge. Furthermore, biologists like Wineke Schoo note that prolonged, direct staring is uncomfortable for gorillas, who typically rely on peripheral vision and avoid intense eye contact.
However, the interpretation of the attack is nuanced. Evolutionary biologist Jan van Hooff observed that video footage of Bokito's earlier visits showed no signs of aggression or fear. He identified a 'vertical bare-teeth face'—a greeting used by males to reassure females—and noted that Bokito's chest-beating was likely a display rather than a threat. Van Hooff suggested the escape might have been driven by frustration, as the woman's interest was met with her walking away, potentially leaving Bokito's social signals unreciprocated.
Bokito's life was marked by significant transitions, from being hand-reared in Berlin by zookeeper Reimon Opitz to becoming the dominant male in Rotterdam. He passed away on 4 April 2023 due to heart failure. His legacy remains part of Dutch culture; the term 'bokitoproof' was even named the Dutch Word of the Year in 2007.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Bokito (gorilla)
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