The Social Lives of Apes
Apes have unique personalities and preferences—just like humans.
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News •
Saving Bili: One gorilla’s journey from illegal traffickers back to the wild
• Oct. 16, 2026, 4:02 AM ET (CNN)
Transcript
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Brookfield to Chicago is home to three species of apes:
00;00;05;14 - 00;00;09;19
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western lowland gorillas, Bornean orangutans and white-cheeked gibbons.
00;00;09;19 - 00;00;14;04
Unknown
Each group is really socially complex and unique compared to the others,
00;00;14;12 - 00;00;16;00
Unknown
they all have different needs and
00;00;16;00 - 00;00;17;04
Unknown
social structures.
00;00;17;10 - 00;00;20;24
Unknown
It's like picking out your favorite kid. It's it's very hard. And I feel like
00;00;20;24 - 00;00;22;10
Unknown
it changes very frequently.
00;00;22;10 - 00;00;25;21
Unknown
John two tends to be very serious and stoic.
00;00;25;21 - 00;00;27;19
Unknown
whereas our bachelor boys
00;00;27;20 - 00;00;30;16
Unknown
get to kind of be goofy and ridiculous all of the time.
00;00;30;16 - 00;00;34;20
Unknown
Our bachelor gorillas wrestle on a pretty regular basis.
00;00;34;22 - 00;00;36;04
Unknown
and it looks big and scary, but
00;00;36;04 - 00;00;37;10
Unknown
it's just a very,
00;00;37;12 - 00;00;38;25
Unknown
silly behavior.
00;00;38;28 - 00;00;46;24
Unknown
You know, hearing them laugh is a very interesting experience.
00;00;46;27 - 00;00;47;24
Unknown
Our orangutans,
00;00;47;26 - 00;00;49;27
Unknown
they are so smart,
00;00;49;28 - 00;00;52;02
Unknown
they are constantly looking for ways
00;00;52;02 - 00;00;52;20
Unknown
to,
00;00;52;23 - 00;00;53;23
Unknown
cause mischief.
00;00;53;27 - 00;00;55;20
Unknown
Yes, they are very full of
00;00;55;20 - 00;00;56;15
Unknown
personality
00;00;56;15 - 00;00;57;27
Unknown
and they are all very different.
00;00;57;27 - 00;00;59;24
Unknown
Kecil our young
00;00;59;27 - 00;01;00;11
Unknown
boy
00;01;00;11 - 00;01;00;29
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And he's
00;01;00;29 - 00;01;05;03
Unknown
very interested in everything and everyone all of the time.
00;01;05;03 - 00;01;06;01
Unknown
And Sophia,
00;01;06;07 - 00;01;07;28
Unknown
Sophia is like a spitfire.
00;01;07;28 - 00;01;09;12
Unknown
Very bold and
00;01;09;14 - 00;01;12;29
Unknown
intelligent and she's she's always looking for ways to,
00;01;12;29 - 00;01;14;09
Unknown
outsmart everybody.
00;01;14;11 - 00;01;19;01
Unknown
They are incredibly intelligent, they are highly socially complex animals,
00;01;19;04 - 00;01;20;16
Unknown
but they're also vulnerable.
00;01;20;18 - 00;01;27;07
Unknown
Apes face several significant threats and that includes habitat loss, poaching, mining for metals,
00;01;27;08 - 00;01;29;02
Unknown
illegal wildlife trade,
00;01;29;04 - 00;01;31;14
Unknown
and in some areas, like, the human conflict
00;01;31;14 - 00;01;32;28
Unknown
can really encroach on
00;01;32;28 - 00;01;34;14
Unknown
the natural habitat of
00;01;34;15 - 00;01;35;08
Unknown
the apes.
00;01;35;11 - 00;01;36;06
Unknown
We really
00;01;36;08 - 00;01;39;06
Unknown
try to encourage them to thrive in their own environment.
00;01;39;08 - 00;01;41;13
Unknown
Branson Tropical Forest is
00;01;41;13 - 00;01;44;13
Unknown
based around a lot of flexibility and choice.
00;01;44;15 - 00;01;45;03
Unknown
Large,
00;01;45;03 - 00;01;49;02
Unknown
immersive habitats allow the animals to make meaningful choices.
00;01;49;02 - 00;01;50;11
Unknown
Who do they want to be with?
00;01;50;13 - 00;01;51;23
Unknown
Where do they want to go?
00;01;51;28 - 00;01;53;05
Unknown
How do they want to get there?
00;01;53;07 - 00;01;54;18
Unknown
How do they want to spend their time?
00;01;54;20 - 00;01;55;29
Unknown
And it ultimately
00;01;55;29 - 00;01;57;23
Unknown
reduces stress, impacts
00;01;57;26 - 00;02;02;27
Unknown
welfare in a positive way and really pushes those natural behaviors.
00;02;02;27 - 00;02;03;29
Unknown
We can just let the
00;02;04;03 - 00;02;04;15
Unknown
apes
00;02;04;20 - 00;02;05;16
Unknown
be the apes.
Unknown
Brookfield to Chicago is home to three species of apes:
00;00;05;14 - 00;00;09;19
Unknown
western lowland gorillas, Bornean orangutans and white-cheeked gibbons.
00;00;09;19 - 00;00;14;04
Unknown
Each group is really socially complex and unique compared to the others,
00;00;14;12 - 00;00;16;00
Unknown
they all have different needs and
00;00;16;00 - 00;00;17;04
Unknown
social structures.
00;00;17;10 - 00;00;20;24
Unknown
It's like picking out your favorite kid. It's it's very hard. And I feel like
00;00;20;24 - 00;00;22;10
Unknown
it changes very frequently.
00;00;22;10 - 00;00;25;21
Unknown
John two tends to be very serious and stoic.
00;00;25;21 - 00;00;27;19
Unknown
whereas our bachelor boys
00;00;27;20 - 00;00;30;16
Unknown
get to kind of be goofy and ridiculous all of the time.
00;00;30;16 - 00;00;34;20
Unknown
Our bachelor gorillas wrestle on a pretty regular basis.
00;00;34;22 - 00;00;36;04
Unknown
and it looks big and scary, but
00;00;36;04 - 00;00;37;10
Unknown
it's just a very,
00;00;37;12 - 00;00;38;25
Unknown
silly behavior.
00;00;38;28 - 00;00;46;24
Unknown
You know, hearing them laugh is a very interesting experience.
00;00;46;27 - 00;00;47;24
Unknown
Our orangutans,
00;00;47;26 - 00;00;49;27
Unknown
they are so smart,
00;00;49;28 - 00;00;52;02
Unknown
they are constantly looking for ways
00;00;52;02 - 00;00;52;20
Unknown
to,
00;00;52;23 - 00;00;53;23
Unknown
cause mischief.
00;00;53;27 - 00;00;55;20
Unknown
Yes, they are very full of
00;00;55;20 - 00;00;56;15
Unknown
personality
00;00;56;15 - 00;00;57;27
Unknown
and they are all very different.
00;00;57;27 - 00;00;59;24
Unknown
Kecil our young
00;00;59;27 - 00;01;00;11
Unknown
boy
00;01;00;11 - 00;01;00;29
Unknown
And he's
00;01;00;29 - 00;01;05;03
Unknown
very interested in everything and everyone all of the time.
00;01;05;03 - 00;01;06;01
Unknown
And Sophia,
00;01;06;07 - 00;01;07;28
Unknown
Sophia is like a spitfire.
00;01;07;28 - 00;01;09;12
Unknown
Very bold and
00;01;09;14 - 00;01;12;29
Unknown
intelligent and she's she's always looking for ways to,
00;01;12;29 - 00;01;14;09
Unknown
outsmart everybody.
00;01;14;11 - 00;01;19;01
Unknown
They are incredibly intelligent, they are highly socially complex animals,
00;01;19;04 - 00;01;20;16
Unknown
but they're also vulnerable.
00;01;20;18 - 00;01;27;07
Unknown
Apes face several significant threats and that includes habitat loss, poaching, mining for metals,
00;01;27;08 - 00;01;29;02
Unknown
illegal wildlife trade,
00;01;29;04 - 00;01;31;14
Unknown
and in some areas, like, the human conflict
00;01;31;14 - 00;01;32;28
Unknown
can really encroach on
00;01;32;28 - 00;01;34;14
Unknown
the natural habitat of
00;01;34;15 - 00;01;35;08
Unknown
the apes.
00;01;35;11 - 00;01;36;06
Unknown
We really
00;01;36;08 - 00;01;39;06
Unknown
try to encourage them to thrive in their own environment.
00;01;39;08 - 00;01;41;13
Unknown
Branson Tropical Forest is
00;01;41;13 - 00;01;44;13
Unknown
based around a lot of flexibility and choice.
00;01;44;15 - 00;01;45;03
Unknown
Large,
00;01;45;03 - 00;01;49;02
Unknown
immersive habitats allow the animals to make meaningful choices.
00;01;49;02 - 00;01;50;11
Unknown
Who do they want to be with?
00;01;50;13 - 00;01;51;23
Unknown
Where do they want to go?
00;01;51;28 - 00;01;53;05
Unknown
How do they want to get there?
00;01;53;07 - 00;01;54;18
Unknown
How do they want to spend their time?
00;01;54;20 - 00;01;55;29
Unknown
And it ultimately
00;01;55;29 - 00;01;57;23
Unknown
reduces stress, impacts
00;01;57;26 - 00;02;02;27
Unknown
welfare in a positive way and really pushes those natural behaviors.
00;02;02;27 - 00;02;03;29
Unknown
We can just let the
00;02;04;03 - 00;02;04;15
Unknown
apes
00;02;04;20 - 00;02;05;16
Unknown
be the apes.