Inappropriate Behaviour

Chimpanzee Togo and his family deserve more respect from visitors
When the chimpanzee baby was born at ZOO Ljubljana, we happily shared the good news with our visitors. But with it comes concern among the zoo staff: will visitors treat him with respect?
Unfortunately, our keepers are seeing inappropriate behaviour around the chimpanzee Togo all too often, which can endanger the welfare and safety of the entire family. 

At the chimpanzee enclosure we have observed:
· feeding the chimpanzees (fruit, sweets, bread, sugary drinks); this can be fatal for them, as food can also transmit disease-causing pathogens,
· reaching out towards the chimpanzees, which can lead to serious injuries (bites, severed fingers),
· entering areas where visitor access is forbidden, which can lead to severe injuries,
· shouting and making noise at the enclosure, which disrupts the chimpanzees’ daily routine,
· throwing objects (stones, branches) into the enclosure, which can injure the animals,
· heavy tapping on the glass of the indoor area, which prevents the chimpanzees from resting,
· using camera flashes and deliberately shining lights at the animals, which alarms them. 

Such behaviour means stress, discomfort and danger for the chimpanzees.
We therefore sincerely ask visitors: let us give Togo and his family a calm and safe environment. Only by acting responsibly can we ensure their daily life is as it deserves to be.

Rules of conduct at the chimpanzees