Twycross Zoo New possible Silverbacks

Yes i agree if the enclsoure has loads of vegitation and trees and is not in the open (londons Gorilla kingdom) the gorillas will be happier to go out on the main display as they have some overhead cover and not retreating into their indoor gym. Which enclosure do you think is the best in the uk? me and Pertinax feel it is Palace of the Apes at Port lympne.
Thanks for any info
 
Riziki said:
Which enclosure do you think is the best in the uk? me and Pertinax feel it is Palace of the Apes at Port lympne.
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I have not visited the Aspinall Parks. However I do plan to visit at least one of them this year.

So bearing in mind I have not visited all the UK collections with Gorillas. I feel Blackpools is the best that I have seen. Even thou its dated is has a large outdoor area, the island has lost of coverage and is well planted. The indoor although the foot print is small is really well done and like the limited viewing of the gorillas to reduce stress.

Bristol would of been first the island is fantastic but the indoor area is cramped and inneed of a bit of work.

Tywcross has the worst housing for gorillas I have seen. Considering when the new house was built it is plain, boring and has outside area not suited for these Fantastic Great Apes.
 
I have only had an interest in gorillas since i have been looking into the work of my hero John Aspinall as my passion is for Lions and Tigers and i was amazed by his work with gorillas it started from there and my visit to Port Lympne really started my interest in gorillas to further.
I have only visited Port Lymne and the palace of the apes exhibit is the most amazing gorilla enclosure i have seen with a huge indoor gym and a huge outdoor exhibit well planted and with wooden climbing frames. It is the place were i have been closest to a gorilla.
I cannot remember the blackpool Gorilla Island very well as i visited in 2006 from what i can remember it was an impressive exhibit and hopefully with the arrival of a new male may have some young gorillas soon.Do you know what the Belfast Zoo and the Dublin Zoo Exhibits are like?
Any info would be great.
 
If you check out the galleries, I know there is a few of Dublins enclosure. I would be surprised if there wasn't any of Belfasts.
 
Riziki said:
I have to agree with you with Palace of the Apes, one of the most amazing structures ive ever seen in a zoo (except maybe London). I havent been to many Zoos with gorillas.
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I'm in complete agreement. The Palace of the Apes is the best gorilla accommodation I have ever seen. But I can remember the awful old Gorilla Healthy and compatible animals and good keepers are so very important.

Alan
 
Thanks for that tuan. Gentlelemur what do you think to the gorilla pavillion and Port lympne?
 
I've not been to either of the Aspinall parks, but I do really like the gorilla islands at Bristol and Blackpool. Also, the new male gorilla has already arrived at Blackpool so fingers crossed for babies in the next few years!!!
 
Thats brilliant were did he come from? yeah Fingers crossed, That would make a good family group and should hopefully settle down after all the deaths that have happened in the last few years and the switching of males.Brilliant news
 
Riziki said:
Thanks for that tuan. Gentlelemur what do you think to the gorilla pavillion and Port lympne?
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I don't think I fully understand this question.
Do you mean the gorilla pavilion at Regents Park? In my opinion, it's better than before, but I'd prefer a bigger indoor area and more furnishings and plantings on the island - and I hate those hotwire 'rushes' around the water's edge. I don't think the experiment with the colobus is worth the trouble - the mangabeys might work better.
Or do you mean the bachelor pavilions at PL? They seem to work, but I wish they could make the males use their paddock more, at the moment they plod out for their scatter feed and plod back again.

Alan
 
Riziki said:
The Gorilla Pavilion At Port Lympne housing the Bacheolor Group.
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There are actually two bachelor gorilla pavilions(just cages really) at Port Lympne- the older round one with some eccentric design features like the strange shutes leading up to the roof tower(which the gorillas don't use since they became adult, to my knowledge) and a slightly more recent oblong one near the old spherical chimpanzee cage. These enclosures are functional rather than attractive, in there is scope to seperate the males from one another if they don't get on. At present the ten males live in 4 seemingly permanent 'units' of 5, 1, 2 & 2 animals. The 5 + 1 older males(all silverbacks) live in the Round enclosure, and 2 + 2 younger (2 silverback & two blackback) males in the simpler, newer enclosure

The large open air paddocks attatched to the enclosures are largely a waste of space as the animals hardly ever use them, preferring to stay in the covered areas afforded by the mesh roofs, except when they come out for the twice-daily scatter feeds. They always appear on cue outside a few minutes before the feed-time and then go back in again afterward. Last time I did see one or two outside briefly at other times though.

I think I prefer the term 'all male' for these groups- 'bachelor' indicates they have some choice in the matter.;)
 
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Sand Cat said:
Also, the new male gorilla has already arrived at Blackpool so fingers crossed for babies in the next few years!!!
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Are you sure about that? There's nothing on their website to say he has arrived yet. His name is 'Bukavu' and he's coming, or has come, from the male group at Schmiding Zoo Austria, but he was born 24.7.97 and mother-raised at Munich Zoo (parents Roututu x Bagira)

Blackpool should now finally be on course for babies when he arrives. They have not yet bred a Gorilla despite having kept several different ones since the early 1970's. I don't know why the EEP sent them 'Jitu' as he was handraised in the Stuttgart nursery and so was never a reliable prospect for breeding. They wasted 8 years with him to discover that at Blackpool...
 
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I suppose that is what some people say is the politics within the framework of the coop breeding programmes? :rolleyes:
 
Pertinax said:
Are you sure about that? There's nothing on their website to say he has arrived yet. His name is 'Bukavu' and he's coming, or has come, from the male group at Schmiding Zoo Austria, but he was born 24.7.97 and mother-raised at Munich Zoo (parents Roututu x Bagira)

Blackpool should now finally be on course for babies when he arrives. They have not yet bred a Gorilla despite having kept several different ones since the early 1970's. I don't know why the EEP sent them 'Jitu' as he was handraised in the Stuttgart nursery and so was never a reliable prospect for breeding. They wasted 8 years with him to discover that at Blackpool...
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Very sure! I'm a member of the Blackpool Zoo group on Facebook, and they sent out a news bulletin on there saying that he has arrived. Here it is:


The Zoo's new male gorilla, Bakavu, arrived safely this morning from Schmiding Zoo in Austria. He had travelled very well and, although tired on his arrival, was also hungry and happily accepted food from the keepers. He is being left to settle in before being introduced to the three females.


That was on 3rd December. I guess they haven't announced it on their website yet while he's settling in? Good news all the same though!!
 
jelle said:
I suppose that is what some people say is the politics within the framework of the coop breeding programmes? :rolleyes:
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well, Jitu's 8 years at Blackpool was 8 years more they couldn't breed Gorillas. Not sure why they took so long to decide he wasn't any good though....
 
Sand Cat said:
Very sure! I'm a member of the Blackpool Zoo group on Facebook, and they sent out a news bulletin on there saying that he has arrived. ere it is:


The Zoo's new male gorilla, Bakavu, arrived safely this morning from Schmiding Zoo in Austria. He had travelled very well and, although tired on his arrival, was also hungry and happily accepted food from the keepers. He is being left to settle in before being introduced to the three females.


That was on 3rd December. I guess they haven't announced it on their website yet while he's settling in? Good news all the same though!!
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Good news & sorry I queried you- though I suspected you might be 'in the know' from the way you posted the info.;) I looked on the website today but there is still nothing. Maybe Xmas period got in the way.

Expect pregnant Gorillas forthwith !!!
 
Thanks Pertinax for the Information on the Gorilla Pavillions at Port Lympne. When i went in may 2008 2/3 gorillas were outside and the rest of that group were in the Round pavillion. The gorillas seemed so happy in there and in the Gym in Palace of the Apes why arent more zoos designing more enclosures like these? or atleast bigger indoor gyms. Also is the Second Bacheolor Gorilla Gym the more recent one on show to the public?
Thanks for any information
Great news about Blackpools new male hopefully the 8 years wasted may of found the right male at last.
 
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