Gorillas are one of the most fascinating species of primates. These large, intelligent apes share much of their DNA with humans and exhibit complex social behaviors. However, one distinct difference between gorillas and humans is that prolonged eye contact is seen as a threat by gorillas.
There are several reasons why gorillas do not like direct eye contact:
Eye contact is a sign of aggression
In the wild, prolonged eye contact between gorillas is a clear act of aggression and dominance. Staring into the eyes of another gorilla indicates a challenge. Gorillas will often charge at each other while making direct eye contact and beating their chests. This display of power helps establish hierarchy in gorilla troops. Prolonged eye contact is reserved for hostile encounters and is not part of regular gorilla interaction.
Avoiding tension
Gorillas avoid eye contact to prevent unnecessary conflict or tension. Gorillas have complex social relationships and hierarchy. Sustained eye contact can disrupt group dynamics and cause rifts between members. To keep the peace, gorillas avert their gaze and do not force eye contact. This allows them to co-exist without constant battles for dominance.
Sign of respect
A gorilla avoiding eye contact also shows respect and deference to more dominant members of the group. Young gorillas will glance away submissively when in the presence of the dominant silverback male. Mothers will avoid looking directly at older offspring who rank higher in the family hierarchy. By not engaging in eye contact, gorillas acknowledge each other’s status politely.
How do gorillas communicate without eye contact?
While they avoid direct eye contact, gorillas have other sophisticated methods to communicate within their troops.
Body language
Like humans, gorillas rely greatly on body language. A gorilla may convey aggression by standing tall, puffing out its chest, stiffening its legs, and spreading its arms. Stress and anxiety manifest physically by hunching the shoulders forward and bowing the head. Relaxed gorillas may sit with legs casually splayed and arms resting in their lap. These are all postures that communicate without the need for eye contact.
Facial expressions
Subtle facial movements also let gorillas quietly express their feelings. Flared nostrils and tight lips often signal anger or anxiety. Contentment creates soft eyes and a relaxed open mouth. Gorillas smile when they are happy, soothing others in distress, or to apologize after a conflict. Frowns demonstrate concentration. This nuanced non-verbal communication allows gorillas to understand each other without intrusive gazing.
Gestures
Tactile gestures further enhance gorilla communication. Touch is very important, and activities like grooming strengthen social bonds. Gorillas may hug or pat each other on the back to offer affection and reassurance. Physical gestures like hand-clasp and foot grabs also signify affiliation. Chest beats and charges make bold statements. Gorillas have an advanced grasp of body language akin to sign language.
Vocalizations
Gorillas also rely heavily on vocal communication. They have an array of grunts, barks, roars, whimpers, and hoots that express their mood, reactions, and intent. Different tones, pitches, and rhythms provide detailed context without visual cues. Young gorillas learn to interpret these vocal nuances from an early age. Verbal communication fills the gaps left by limited eye contact.
How does lack of eye contact affect human interaction with gorillas?
The fact that gorillas do not maintain eye contact presents challenges for humans who work closely with them in zoos, sanctuaries, and research facilities. Gorilla relationships with human caretakers require tailored communication approaches.
Build trust before eye contact
Humans cannot simply walk up to a gorilla and initiate direct eye contact. This will be viewed as extremely threatening. Instead, caretakers must gradually build a foundation of trust through patient behavior. Over time, a gorilla may become comfortable with brief moments of eye contact once it understands that humans communicate differently. But direct staring remains inadvisable.
Use peripherial gaze
Looking at a gorilla from the corner of the eye establishes some visual connection without the intensity of a head-on stare. This peripherial gaze demonstrates interest and engagement with gorillas in a subtler, calmer manner. Trainers utilize this indirect glance to observe gorilla reactions and behaviors during training sessions.
Read other cues
Caretakers also rely on other gorilla communication signals like body language and vocalizations to interpret the apes’ mood and needs. Since they cannot depend on eye contact for information, they must become adept at “reading” gorillas through posture, facial expressions, and sounds. Building a close rapport requires learning these nuances.
Bridge communication gaps
Language barriers increase the difficulty of human-gorilla relationships. Great apes can learn sign languages and other modes of communication to bridge the divide. But differences remain, and mutual understanding requires patience. Limited eye contact is just one obstacle that caretakers must address to foster positive bonds with gorillas.
Interesting facts about gorilla eye contact
While direct eye contact is broadly avoided, gorillas do engage in some interesting eye gazing behaviors and patterns:
Stare downs
Younger males will sometimes engage in stare downs to test each other’s mettle, especially adolescent blackbacks vying for leadership roles. These contests often lead to confrontations. However, silverbacks rely less on this risky eye contact aggression to assert their dominance.
oggle mothers and infants
While most adults avoid looking directly at each other, new gorilla mothers will spend prolonged periods gazing into the eyes of their infants. This loving eye contact strengthens attachment during the first few months of life.
Peering
From a distance, gorillas will observe each other’s activities with brief curiosity. This peering is not meant to be intrusive, just keeping apprised of troop happenings. It lacks the hostile intent of a glare.
Sideways glances
When a gorilla wants to surreptitiously assess the mood or reaction of another gorilla, it will slide its eyes sideways without turning the head. This furtive glance reduces the chance of confrontation.
Playful staring
Young gorillas enthusiastically engage in play staring to practice communicating and gauge reactions. This helps them learn proper eye contact vs. aggression as they mature. Staring contests during play can sometimes escalate but generally remain in good fun.
The table below summarizes different gorilla eye contact behaviors:
| Type of Eye Contact | Purpose | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Direct glare | Display aggression | Dominance fights between males |
| Averted gaze | Avoid tension | Daily group interactions |
| Downward glance | Show respect | Juveniles toward elders |
| Peripheral gaze | Mild engagement | Human caretaker interactions |
| Intense staring | Challenge others | Adolescent male competitions |
| Curious peering | Monitor activities | From afar at other gorillas |
| Playful staring | Practice communication | Young gorillas at play |
Conclusion
In summary, prolonged and direct eye contact represents a threat display among gorillas. To avoid aggressive confrontation, gorillas rely more on body language, vocalizations, and gestures to communicate effectively. This allows them to maintain complex social relationships in large troops. While lack of eye contact presents some challenges for human caretaker relationships, these can be overcome through learning gorilla behavior cues. With appropriate adjustments to communication approaches, peaceful bonds are possible. By understanding why gorillas avoid staring and how they conversely connect, we gain fascinating insight into their social complexity.