Chimpanzees glued to phones, Chinese zoo issues special rules

(Dan Tri) - The wildlife zoo in Shanghai (China) reminded visitors not to let the chimpanzee (named Dinh Dinh) watch cell phones because of concerns that this habit could harm the animal's eyesight and psychology.

Previously, many clips recording the scene of tourists showing the famous chimpanzee at the Shanghai Wild Zoo (China) their phones were spread on social networks, causing a stir in public opinion in this country.

In the videos , the chimpanzee is glued to the screen, much to the amusement of many people. However, the zoo management immediately issued a warning.

Zoo notice board (Photo: Screenshot).

“Please do not show your phone to animals,” the notice read. At the same time, the chimpanzee enclosure had a sign in bold that read: “Stop! Stop! Don’t show me your phone.”

According to China News , zoo staff explained that if chimpanzees are exposed to screens too often, their eyes may become nearsighted. “When their eyesight is impaired, they cannot speak to us and cannot wear glasses. Not being able to see clearly will make them restless and affect their health,” a staff member shared during the live broadcast.

Ding Ding is the nickname of a chimpanzee born on January 19, 2023, raised at this zoo and became famous in April after an adorable bottle-feeding video. After that, Ding Ding quickly became a "social media star".

However, because of that, many tourists intentionally showed Ding Ding their phones to record clips.

Ding Ding is often shown his phone by many people and then filmed reacting (Screenshot).

According to Xinhua News Agency , this is not the first time the phenomenon of “anthropomorphizing” animals has caused controversy. Previously, many other animals such as wolves in Kekexili or chimpanzees in Nanning became “internet stars” because of their human-like behavior, but later got into trouble or caused danger.

Experts say that giving animals human expressions makes the online community excited, but it's easy to overlook their true feelings.

One person commented: “Understanding animals should not stop at “how they are like us”, but “how they are different from us”. The real beauty is that they remain as they are. Reminding tourists not to show the videos to chimpanzees is a sign of respect, so that they can live in the wild.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tinh-tinh-dan-mat-vao-dien-thoai-vuon-thu-trung-quoc-ra-quy-dinh-dac-biet-20250915155550602.htm