Opinion thread - top 5 ape enclosures

ShonenJake13

ShonenJake13

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
Oh look, SJ13 talking about something ape related! What a shocker!

As the title suggests, anyone else fancy ranking their top five enclosures? We'll go by Twycross rules and say best orangutan, best gorilla, best chimpanzee and best bonobo enclosures.

Ranking indoors and outdoors separately like I have below is optional, and if you haven't seen five or then rank them anyway! :)

Here are mine

Bonobos Inside

Apenheul
VdS
Planckendael
Twycross

Bonobos Outside

VdS
Apenheul
Planckendael
Twycross

Orangs Inside

Apenheul
Chester
Monkey World
Colchester
Pairi Daiza

Orangs Outside

Apenheul
Chester
Colchester
Monkey World
Pairi Daiza

Gorillas Inside

Burgers'
Bristol
Beekse Bergen
VdS
Apenheul

Gorillas Outside

Bronx
Apenheul
VdS
Howletts
Burgers'
Port Lympne

Chimps Inside

Edinburgh
Burgers'
Monkey World
Dierenrijk
Beekse Bergen

Chimps Outside

Burgers'
VdS
Edinburgh
Beekse Bergen
Monkey World
 
Nice thread Jake :) Here's my contribution only including ones I've seen in person

Bonobos Inside

Twycross

Bonobos Outside

Twycross

Orangs Inside

Chester
Blackpool
Paignton
Twycross
Colchester

Orangs Outside

Chester
Paignton
Monkey World
Elche
Colchester

Gorillas Inside

Bristol
Dublin
London
Paignton
Blackpool
Twycross

Gorillas Outside

Dublin
Longleat (Gorilla Colony, not the island)
Blackpool
Paignton
London

Chimps Inside

Edinburgh
Whipsnade
Dudley
Elche
Monkey World

Chimps Outside

Chester
Monkey World
Edinburgh
Elche
Whipsnade
 
I have only seen a few exhibits with these species at this moment in time but should increase in the coming months.

Species with a Z in brackets will indicate species I have seen during zoo visits while a T will indicate exhibits seen on TV and GM will indicate Google Maps.

Bonobos
Unfortunately,I have yet to see these species

Orangs Inside
Chester Zoo(Z)(T)
Zooparc De Beuval(GM)
Dublin Zoo(T)
Blackpool(Z)

Orangs Outside
Chester(Z)(T)
Zooparc De Beuval(GM)
Dublin(T)
Blackpool(Z)

Gorillas Indoor
London(T)(GM)
Zooparc De Beuval(GM)
Blackpool(Z)

Gorillas Outdoor
Zooparc De Beuval(GM)
Blackpool(Z)
London(T)(GM)

Chimps Indoor
Welsh Mountain Zoo(Z)
Chester Zoo(Z)(T)

Chimps Outdoor
Chester(Z)(T)
ZSL Whipsnade(T)(GM)
Welsh Mountain Zoo(Z)
 
Time for a North American to chime in!

Bonobo (outdoors only)
San Diego
Ft. Worth

Chimp (outdoor only)
Houston
Dallas
Oregon
Honolulu
Ft. Worth

Gorilla (Outdoor only)
Houston
Dallas
Woodland Park
San Diego
Disney's Animal Kingdom


Gorilla (indoors)
Calgary
Ft.Worth

Orangutan (Outdoor only)
Honolulu
Oregon
San Diego
Woodland Park
Houston

Orangutan (Indoors)
Oregon
Woodland Park
Ft.Worth
 
I've only seen bonobos at Twycross, but I feel their accommodation is too poor to include on the list, so I'll leave them out.


Orangutan (Indoors)
Chester Zoo
Oregon Zoo
Monkey World
Melbourne Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo

Orangutan (Outdoors)
Chester Zoo
Melbourne Zoo
Monkey World
Woodland Park Zoo
Oregon Zoo



Gorilla (Indoors)
Bristol Zoo
Artis
Twycross Zoo
London Zoo
Melbourne Zoo
To be honest, this list was difficult, as only Bristol really stood out to me.

Gorilla (Outdoors)
Melbourne Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo
Werribee Open Range Zoo
...a big gap, and then... Bristol Zoo
London Zoo


Chimpanzee (Indoors)
Monarto Zoo
Monkey World (Hananya's house, not the pavillions)
...another big gap... Chester Zoo
Twycross Zoo
Again, not all of the examples on the list are rated highly to me; I need to see more great chimp exhibits!

Chimpanzee (Outdoors)
Monkey World (Hananya's and Paddy's enclosures)
Monarto Zoo
Taronga Zoo
Chester Zoo
Oregon Zoo
 
Gorilla:
Bronx
Woodland Park
Howletts
Dublin
Blijdorp

Orangutan:
Singapore
Melbourne
Chester
Woodland Park
Denver

Bonobo:
Leipzig
Planckendael
Frankfurt
Wilhelma
Cologne

Chimpanzee:
Edinburgh
Taronga
Leipzig
Monkey World
Munich
 
soona said:
I've only seen bonobos at Twycross, but I feel their accommodation is too poor to include on the list, so I'll leave them out.




Twycross Zoo
Again, not all of the examples on the list are rated highly to me; I need to see more great chimp exhibits!
Click to expand...
I wondered when someone might comment on Twycross Bonobos like that- it really isn't very good housing.

But surprised you included Twycross common Chimpanzee at all. Their current accomodation is substandard and falling to bits( indoor of main house is now sealed off from public access) but finally a new house is under construction- should be good.
 
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People are listing Howletts as a good gorilla exhibit? Seriously?
(Unless they have built a new natural exhibit since I visited in April 2013).
 
lintworm said:
Because he is probably the only one of the bunch who has seen it or at least knows enough of it to list it ;)
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Bingo :D can't vouch for Hyuk but I know that MG and soona haven't visited Bronx, and I can guess Komodo hasn't. The thread is your top five you've seen in person ;) otherwise I would have Leipzig and a few others in amongst there too...
 
Arizona Docent said:
People are listing Howletts as a good gorilla exhibit? Seriously?
(Unless they have built a new natural exhibit since I visited in April 2013).
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised. Visually the enclosures are ugly, but they're the most used gorilla exhibits and most active I have seen gorillas anywhere, and that includes in Bronx.
 
ShonenJake13 said:
Bingo :D can't vouch for Hyuk but I know that MG and soona haven't visited Bronx, and I can guess Komodo hasn't. The thread is your top five you've seen in person ;) otherwise I would have Leipzig and a few others in amongst there too...
Click to expand...
Never been to America,but I did see The Bronx Zoo on TV,but I have'nt finished watching the series.
 
ShonenJake13 said:
You'd be surprised. Visually the enclosures are ugly, but they're the most used gorilla exhibits and most active I have seen gorillas anywhere, and that includes in Bronx.
Click to expand...

The difference being that at Howletts the covered outdoor enclosures are used as freely as the inside areas- this is the exception to most Gorilla enclosures. Chessington's is modelled on Howletts and their gorillas seem happy to use all of it too- though I believe here they are probably shut outside during opening hours as there is no inside viewing.
 
My best exhibits seen overall :

Bonobo - Twycross v Berlin - Twycross

Orang-utans -Chester (Islands)

Gorilla - Port Lympne ( Palace of the Apes)

Chimp - Edinburgh

My choice is based on the UK plus zoo Berlin though!
 
pipaluk said:
My best exhibits seen overall :

Bonobo - Twycross v Berlin - Twycross

Orang-utans -Chester (Islands)

Gorilla - Port Lympne ( Palace of the Apes)

Chimp - Edinburgh

My choice is based on the UK plus zoo Berlin though!
Click to expand...

Minus the bonobos (can't give Twycross good ratings for the enclosure sadly) I would be with you 100% for UK only.
 
Zooplantman said:
Only ShonenJake13 lists Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest? :eek:
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I haven't seen it in person, otherwise it would probably top my list too. It's not really possible to judge through photos alone, so all my rankings are based on exhibits I've seen personally. My list would be VERY different if it were going by photos too; Bronx, Detroit, Apenheul, Vallee des Singes and Kansas City would all have gotten mentions.
 
Pertinax said:
...Chessington's is modelled on Howletts and their gorillas seem happy to use all of it too- though I believe here they are probably shut outside during opening hours as there is no inside viewing.
Click to expand...

I've seen them coming and going between their outdoor and indoor areas during opening hours, so don't think they're generally shut out, at least during winter 'Zoo Days'.
 
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