Smarter Than You Think
Monkeys are intelligent creatures, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they know their way around a cell phone. They might not have these devices in the wild, but that doesn’t mean the technology goes over their heads. Much like humans, they’re intrigued by new things and have the smarts to find solutions when presented with a problem. For this chimpanzee, getting onto Instagram wasn’t tricky, and they were amazed by what they saw.
An Intriguing Discovery
In a video that’s now gone viral, a chimp from the Miami zoo is seen scrolling through one of their keeper’s social media feeds. The monkey appears very absorbed in the Instagram page, even clicking on several of the photos that show the zookeeper with other animals. Whether or not the chimp is aware of what they’re doing is uncertain, but they certainly seem delighted by their discovery.
His Life’s Passion
Mike Holston, the zookeeper who posted the video, revealed that seeing the animal respond to his Instagram like this brought a smile to his face. The man has always been incredibly passionate about animals and believes that caring for every creature is what he was put on this Earth to do. He revealed that he’d “legit take a bullet for any animal,” especially if they’re a fan of his social media account.
Acting Irresponsibly
Unfortunately, not everyone has viewed this video in the same way. While a lot of people have found it adorable and heartwarming, some animal rights groups believe that Holston acted irresponsibly here. They feel that people shouldn’t be so quick to share the clip because it showcases an “inappropriate portrayal” of the chimp which highlights the thoughtlessness of captivity. These activists believe that media around the monkeys should show them living freely in the wild, or at the very least, in “responsible captive care.”
People all have different opinions about what’s deemed mistreatment when it comes to animals, but we’re sure Holston wasn’t trying to cause any harm with his video.