Didn't they knock down the all three walls to create one large grotto in 2006; which then housed Melbourne's bachelor male gorillas? I believe they may have actually demolished the first grotto off the main drive; and only had three remaining by the 2000's.
I don't think they knocked down the walls between the grottoes; at least not in any visible way from the vantage point still available after 2006...
I have a couple photos from a Mar 2007 visit where the first grotto is still completely intact - it extends from the light tan brick wall (the wall that was always visible from the path that connected to Main Drive, even after grotto access was blocked) and the original dividing wall (between the 1st and 2nd grottoes) is still very much there.
I also have photos from May 2009, that show the 4th grotto intact with the dividing wall between the 4th and 3rd still there, and the divider between the 3rd and 2nd still there. I can't categorically see whether the dividing wall between the 2nd and 1st is still there. Actually, no I can, right by the patio located between them. Based on this, I am pretty sure (as sure as one can be given the cut off access at least) that at very least up until May 2009 all 4 grottoes still existed and I believe all were still individually walled (absolutely the 2nd, 3rd and 4th were) - and as best I can tell 1st was too. This visit was days before relocating to the States. I don't seem to have any photos of the grottoes on my next visit in Aug 2013, so I can't really speak to what happened between May 2009 and their demolition.
I have some memory from my childhood of big brown metal doors / gates in the grotto walls. Maybe Rigo was given access to multiple grottoes after 2006 via these doors rather than the walls being demolished. Or maybe access to multiple grottoes was via the ape house. I don't know, just a thought.
I don't think the grottos ever had Lemurs. Orangutans occupied at least two joint grottos by the 2000's; with Rigo then having the other. It would make sense if Melbourne only had three at this time; meaning the other must have been demolished in the 90's...Rigo and the Orangutans then moved out in 2006 and the trio of bachelor male moved in (into the three joint grottos).
Yep, although I could swear I remember this, it could be a false memory. Going back through my photos, I don't seem to have any photographic evidence of Lemurs in the 4th grotto. I do have a shot of what I think is a gibbon (black ape with a white face) from a May 2009 visit, and maybe that's what I'm getting confused with.
To summarize based on the photos I have:
Mar 2007
- First grotto still exists, the wall between grotto 1 & 2 is fully intact.
- Access from Main Drive is permanently blocked (gardens are where the connecting path was, starting from the brick wall).
- Only other grotto photo I have is one from Main Drive, through the trees. I assume this means the "south wall" access was also blocked. (Yep, my blog from that day confirms that this entry / all access to the grottoes were blocked).
Nov 2007
- Access via "south wall" entrance is not blocked.
- Access to grotto 4 is mostly blocked (by a gate). High wire "construction" fence (which you can see through) is up (behind the short pine fence), from the grotto 3/4 patio, to aforementioned gate . Basically grotto 4 is accessible, but with limited viewing - and probably nothing in there.
- Access to grottoes 3 - 1 blocked by diamond fence, just beyond the grotto 3/4 patio. Viewing of grotto 3 is completely obstructed by a green privacy fence from the patio wall to the diamond fence blocking the grotto path.
- Essentially you could access the 3/4 patio, and only see into #4 (with limited viewing - of a probably empty grotto).
May 2009
- Access via "south wall" entrance is not blocked.
- Grotto 4 is no longer blocked (or at least less blocked), and wire "construction" fence is gone. My photo has a black with white faced ape (gibbon?) in this grotto.
- Access to grottoes 3 - 1 blocked by diamond fence just beyond grotto 3/4 patio. Green privacy fencing is now gone, actually providing limited access and viewing to grotto 3 (and viewing beyond)
- Grotto 3 is fully enclosed (no walls down to 4 or 2). High bamboo is in front of old viewing area, except close to patio, where I took the photos (this is where the green privacy fence was in Nov 2007).
- Grotto 2 appears fully enclosed. The wall between grotto 2 & 3 exists in full. I can see part of the dividing wall between grotto 1 & 2 (by the patio between them). I can't say 100% that the entire wall between grottoes 1 & 2 is there, but with what I can see I assume it is, as per Mar 2007 photo.
Aug 2013 - I don't seem to have any photos of the grottoes. I
think they were still there on this visit, but I have no documentation (photos or notes) to back that up.
Sep 2013 - all demolished & Lemur Island construction under way (based on satellite images)
Grotto 1 definitely existed, self contained until at least Mar 2007. I guess I can't speak definitively to it's existence beyond that.
Grotto 2, 3 & 4 definitely existed self contained at least until May 2009. Based on Feb 2013 satellite images, I'm willing to bet the walls between them remained until everything was demolished (but maybe access to multiple grottoes was granted some other way).
