“The injured woman had been a regular visitor to the great apes’ enclosure, visiting an average of four times per week. She had a habit of touching the glass that separated the public from the gorillas, whilst making eye contact with Bokito and smiling at him. Zoo employees had warned her a few days earlier to keep her distance and avoid direct eye contact with the animal. This sustained staring is thought to have contributed to the attack. Although in humans smiling is a friendly behaviour, in gorillas it is a practice that is discouraged by primatologists, as apes are likely to interpret teeth exposure as a challenge or a form of aggressive display.[22] Speaking from the hospital in an interview with De Telegraaf she said; “He is and remains my darling. Since he arrived at Blijdorp, I have made contact with him. If I placed my hand on the glass, he did the same. If I smiled at him, he smiled back.”

There was a woman who was deliberately provoking one of the gorillas by staring at him, making direct eye contact. He ended up attacking her. This practice started there as a result of it. I’m not sure if it is more widespread now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokito_(gorilla)

bespoke post

hugs, fren. i hope you are able to get your meds and that things calm down enough for you to breathe. you deserve that.