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SOCIAL MANAGEMENT continued

hen construction of the Zoo’s massive Tropical Forests they join up with other males and form
Wproject ends in 2025, it will include nearly 3 acres of new a bachelor group that provides them
outdoor habitat for the Zoo’s western lowland gorillas, orangutans, with companionship and opportunities
and several species of South American monkeys. The Zoo will also to learn from more experienced males.
welcome a new group of gorillas, an all‑male bachelor group that Gorillas are a social species; social
will occupy a habitat separate from our existing family group. companionship is a necessity and not
Bachelor groups exist among gorillas and a number of other a luxury, said Miller. A kangaroo mob,
species in the wild. A gorilla family group consists of a dominant a giraffe herd, a pelican flock, a Mexican
adult male, or silverback, his offspring, and the mothers of his wolf pack, a monkey troop, and a fever
offspring. “There can only be one dominant male in a family of cownose rays are examples of social
group,” said Lance Miller, Ph.D., Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s vice groupings of animals at the Zoo.
president of Animal Welfare Science. So when gorilla males reach Individuals of other species, however, lead
adolescence or young adulthood—between eight and 12 years very solitary lives in the wild. “They only come
old—they voluntarily leave their family group or they are forced together for breeding and reproduction purposes,
out by the silverback. These young males sometimes live alone or and immediately become solitary again,” said Joan
Daniels, associate vice president of Animal Care and
Conservation. A few of these solitary species are the clouded
leopard, polar bear, black rhinoceros, and many reptiles.
Keeping animals in groupings that meet their social and
welfare needs is a requirement of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA), an accreditation body that holds member
zoos and aquariums, including Brookfield Zoo Chicago, to
the highest standards of animal care and welfare. This is called
social management.
“Social management is extremely important and one of the
factors most directly tied to animal welfare,” said Miller, a leading
scientist in the field of animal welfare science. Having animals
OKAPI in incompatible social groups can lead to increased aggression
and stress, as measured by their adrenal activity, heart rate, and
blood pressure, he said. “You can also see decreased exploration,
locomotion, and reproduction.”
Every day, behind the scenes, the Zoo’s animal care
specialists are addressing the social needs of our animals.
This can be one of the most challenging parts of their job.
On the following pages, they share some of what they’ve learned.

32 GATEWAYS | WHY IS THAT ANIMAL ALONE?