Cooperative Tasks Strengthen the Bond Between Lowland Gorillas and Their Zookeepers and Improve Various Aspects of Their Welfare

For 10 months, our team tested the communication and cooperation skills, as well as theory of mind, of three adult male western lowland gorillas at the Opole Zoo in Poland. The cognitive tasks presented to the gorillas enriched their daily routine and interactions with their keepers. The aim of this article is to analyze whether the cognitive tasks presented to the gorillas correlated with behavioral changes toward more frequent communication and cooperation with their caretaker, as well as toward positive emotional responses, compared to their state before performing the tasks. We used behavioral observation protocols, focused on observing and interpreting changes in the gorillas’ behavior while they performed the cognitive tasks. The results of the study indicate that two out of three individuals showed an increase in communicative and cooperative interactions with their caretaker, as well as greater affective stability, which may be an indicator of a stronger bond rooted in positive emotional experiences. As a result, appropriately selected cognitive tasks can provide sensory and social enrichment, which corresponds to the fourth and fifth domains of David Mellor’s welfare model, relating to communicative and affiliative behaviors, as well as the quality of animals’ affective and mental experiences in zoos.