Fossey’s gorilla habituation made the gorillas more vulnerable to poachers

Evidence

What is almost never discussed: the gorillas Fossey habituated could no longer be considered fully wild after the habituation process. The relationship changed both parties. The gorillas who learned that humans could be non-threatening became more vulnerable to the humans who were not. Several of Fossey’s habituated gorillas were subsequently killed by poachers who could approach them more easily precisely because Fossey had taught them not to fear humans. The habituation that was an act of love created a vulnerability that was lethal. The crossing of the threshold changed what the archive protected and what the archive exposed. — Jamal Awil, The Whispering Archive, 618

Categorization

• SEED: A strong essay angle: the unintended lethal consequence of well-intentioned animal habituation, and how conservation methods can backfire.
• XREF: connects to: Habituation that enabled gorilla research also enabled Digit’s killing — Jamal Awil, The Whispering Archive: The Complete…, 975

Related

• Habituation that enabled gorilla research also enabled Digit’s killing (similarity 0.85)