Lowland Gorilla

Our design for a VR experiment is where you’re in the shoes of Harambe, the Lowland Gorilla of the Cincinnati Zoo. The simulation starts in the gorilla pit, where you’re just sitting there, munching on some leaves, and walking around, about to drink some water to quench your thirst. Then, a screaming child falls in the pit, and you’re very confused. You catch the falling child and put it in your arms. You ask yourself “What is going on? Where did this child come from? Why are they screaming?” You then realise that this child looks similar to your kind, and you attempt to protect it to the best of your ability as a gorilla. People are screaming and panicking, while you’re trying to think about what to do, and then while you’re thinking, you feel sudden pain throughout your body. A bullet has entered you. You die, trying to protect the child. …show more content…
An example is that this simulation shows that even though you were doing the right thing, people can misunderstand you, and then judge or discriminate against you for being a gorilla. Since people stereotype gorillas as scary beasts, the zookeepers did not expect Harambe to save and protect the child, and instead shot him because they were scared that he might hurt the child. This makes you truly empathize with Harambe, and helps you to empathize in different