Yes, it's a dry moat.
America's 100 Must See Exhibits
- Thread starter pachyderm pro
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I am curious, why is a moat a problem with gorilla?
Gorillas have been known to drown in water moats.
I assumed that might be the case due to their inability to swim naturaly. Gulf Breeze does it, as well as a few other places, however.
Yep - should've specified it was a dry moat as well.
It seems just about every visit at least a few of the gorillas are resting up high or climbing up and down the ropes. One time I recall watching full grown gorillas swinging from the ceiling which was one of the coolest things I've seen from a great ape. Even when they're indoors they still receive plenty of fresh air thanks to the sliding glass doors being open and the apes preferring their indoor exhibits does have some benefits; the vegetation has established much better than it would have otherwise. When the house first opened the outdoor yards very much appeared like manicured lawns, but the furnishings have really grown in over time and it looks much, much nicer.
Based on the recently released renderings, it appears Brookfield's upcoming 'Gorilla Conservation Center' will have some similarities to this building aesthetically, at least from the exterior. It won't be quite as large, but I also hope the new dayrooms will take a approach similar to Lincoln Park by providing additional vertical space. I think it has potential to be even better than Lincoln Parks building, but that all depends on the quality of the treework and rockwork which I hope looks a bit nicer.
It's worth noting that the moat isn't just a steep pit, but more of a gradual slope that leads to a flat point sectioned off by simulated riverbanks. There are several areas where the gorillas can both exit and enter the moat if they so choose and there haven't been any issues.
Very interesting! Gorillas and chimps in zoos still spend too little time climbing.
I found an interesting study of wild lowland gorillas in Central African Republic Wild males spend 1/4 or more time on trees, and females at least 3/5 time on trees. For climbing postures in the wild meticulously broken by time spent, some I never seen a gorilla in a zoo doing this.
It could be a template for zoos in evaluating do they mimic real postures and movements of climbing apes in the wild. Full text is available elsewhere in the internet.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.1330970408
Lincoln Park Zoo certainly does an excellent job with their ape exhibits. It also provides, as some people have already pointed out, an interesting study in the use of outdoor space by gorillas, as the LPZ gorillas are seldom seen outdoors. One person I know who works with gorillas made a compelling case once for this exhibit as proof that outdoor access may not be a necessity for gorillas, especially in colder climates. LPZ provides a really great indoor area for their apes, and while they are paired with some excellent outdoor exhibits, the indoor exhibits alone would provide a great home for gorillas. Compared to something like Congo Gorilla Forest, which provides a top-quality outdoor exhibit but a lower-than-average indoor area, I think a compelling case could be made that LPZ provides the best example for what a great gorilla exhibit for a cold climate zoo should be.
Truly a phenomenal exhibit, and one that I always look forward to and enjoy. Not many ape exhibits (Other than the IOC) have really given me much of that personal connection with apes, but this exhibit is expertly designed. As others have also mentioned, there are always apes off of the ground and I've never seen any of them actually outside. What signage is there is also well done. There is really never a dull moment in the building. It truly blew me away on my first visit to LPZ.68. Regenstein Center for African Apes
Lincoln Park Zoo, IL
Opened: 2004
Size: 29,000 Square Feet (2,700 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: Western Lowland Gorilla, Chimpanzee
Traditional ape houses are no longer as common in the US as they are in Europe. This modernistic building is one of the few exceptions, serving as the headquarters for the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. Indeed the house is not only a superbly well done ape complex, but is also a dedicated research center where the zoo participates in studies involving captive ape welfare, biology and primate cognition. Hundreds of publications have been produced from the research done here and have been used to benefit both wild and captive apes. Two troops of gorillas and a group of chimpanzees rotate through a trio of highly stylized enclosures. One is an open-topped habitat exclusively used by the gorilla troops while the other two are essentially large mesh cages. All three enclosures are packed with artificial vines, bamboo and large tree trunks that, while not at all immersive, are pleasant to the eye. The indoor dayrooms are top-notch, so much so that the apes often seem to prefer to spend time indoors even on the nicest days. The dayrooms are separated from the outdoor yards by sliding glass windows which allow natural light to shine in. Each one is packed with enrichment and the design is incredibly successful at encouraging arboreal behavior from the apes, which is especially uncommon for full grown gorillas and it is an extremely impressive sight to see. Not many exhibits can be said to do such significant research and it's all done in an extremely attractive setting.
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Similar Exhibits: None.
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
CGF is arguably the best gorilla exhibit in the world. The outdoor exhibits are too good for LPZ’s indoor and outdoor exhibits to compete with. And I wouldn’t call Bronx’s indoor exhibits mediocre. They’re average.
As exhibits the indoor CGF spaces are at best average. As communal spaces for gorillas they are excellent—among the very best. The problem is that less than 10% of the two large, two-story, skylighted spaces full of climbing opportunities are visible from the public viewing areas.
Are you suggesting that this exhibit would be acceptable if it were just the indoor exhibits without any outdoor access? I cannot emphasize how much I disagree with that. As good as the dayrooms may be, they are far too small to adequately house a troop of gorillas or chimps year-round. More importantly, access to fresh air and natural sunlight is crucial for the health of species like great apes. While the apes seem to prefer their indoor dayrooms, I have seen them in their outdoor enclosures quite a bit as well and the freedom to choose where to spend their time is extremely beneficial to their welfare.
There was a discussion in the early days of this thread regarding the ethics of keeping lemurs indoors 24/7 and while I defended Bronx for its all indoor lemur habitats, I will never get behind all indoor ape exhibits. The two worst gorilla exhibits in the country also happen to be the only ones that lack outdoor access and there's a reason one of them will be out of use two years from now.
CGF is certainly an excellent gorilla exhibit, although I don't think it can compete with the exhibits at Disney's Animal Kingdom for best in the country, let alone world. Personally, I would call the indoor exhibits below average. While the outdoor exhibits are excellent, for a zoo to be located in New York City, where the weather doesn't allow for outdoor access the entire year, the higher priority should be to provide an excellent year-round home for gorillas, rather than focusing on an excellent summer exhibit paired with a below-average indoor area. During the winter, it's simply too cold for gorillas to have outdoor access, and there are much better examples of indoor gorilla exhibits than the ones at the Bronx- with LPZ being one of them, but that's not to say that the outdoor yards at Bronx are anything below excellent.
If it was only the indoor exhibits, then I agree that they should be a little larger, however I will stand by that indoor exhibits for apes can be extremely successful if done correctly. That is not to say that the current two are adequate- both Buffalo and Brookfield have heavily flawed gorilla exhibits, although I would not go as far as to say that they are the two worst in the country (personally, I found Cleveland's gorilla exhibit to be much worse than Buffalo's). If we talk apes more broadly, Cleveland's orangtuan exhibit is an all-indoor exhibit that I would consider an excellent exhibit for the apes, albeit not a perfect one. However, despite the flaws of Brookfield and Buffalo Zoo gorilla exhibits, they are also both 40 year old exhibits that don't speak to the possibilities of what an all-indoor exhibit could be if designed today, with current standards in mind. I'm confident that if designed appropriately and with current scientific knowledge of ape welfare in mind, an all-indoor gorilla exhibit could be built today that ranks amongst the best in the country.
Natural light is important for apes (and plenty of other animals), however natural light can also be incorporated into indoor exhibits through geodesic domes and skylights. I'm not sure there's any evidence to suggest that "fresh air" is a requirement for apes, however. I agree with you 100% on the freedom to choose. Zoos should, whenever possible, give animals access to as much of their exhibit as possible at all times, including all of the public areas and the behind-the-scenes components of an exhibit. While freedom to choose can occur in indoor-outdoor exhibits, and I'd argue that in order to be successful an indoor-outdoor exhibit must provide the animals with access to both halves (unfortunately I'm aware of some zoos with indoor-outdoor exhibits that don't allow freedom of choice- albeit not necessarily for apes). However, freedom of choice can just as easily be achieved in an all-indoor (or all-outdoor in the right climate) exhibit. Freedom of choice can mean providing sections of an exhibit with varying substrates, providing adequate space for individuals to choose their neighbors, providing a temperature/humidity gradient to choose those conditions, providing areas of varying plant coverage, providing both visible and out-of-view areas, and areas with different sight-lines. Freedom of choice doesn't always mean the choice of indoor or outdoor, however, and can mean choice of differing habitat conditions that could be achieved in an all-indoor exhibit, such as the ones laid out above.
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
Disney's gorilla exhibit is very good as well, but it doesn't have as much shade, climbing structures, and viewing opportunities as CGF does. The gorillas don't have to be indoors for half the year in the Bronx, only a couple of months when NY weather starts to get really bad. And their indoor exhibit is quite solid imo. It has multiple logs and climbing opportunities and is a decent size(although a majority of it is not visible to the public).
69. Hummingbird Habitat
San Diego Zoo, CA
Opened: 2021
Size: 3,800 Square Feet (350 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: 20 South American birds including various tanager, honeycreeper, and hummingbird species.
San Diego is well known for its absolute plethora of spectacular aviaries, so be careful not to let this comparatively modest building get lost in the shuffle. While it’s referred to as a hummingbird aviary, this infinity loop shaped house showcases an excellent variety of South American birds, including several rarities. The unique figure eight design was a calculated decision in order to allow the birds to be out of view of one another to decrease aggression. This is done thanks to various green walls which were implemented for hiding and nesting opportunities, although the mock rock they grow out of is a tad unsightly. Modern tech was integrated into the building with electric blinds that will enclose the aviary when the temperature drops below the allowed limit. There is also a built in misting system working with various small ponds and streams tucked into the habitat. It’s only a few years old, but the furnishings have already grown nicely and wonderfully compliment the vibrance of the house’s residents. The old hummingbird aviary this replaced was a hidden gem often to its detriment, but this new exhibit has already proven to be an even greater success in both animal management and visitor reception.
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Similar Exhibits: I would also like to highlight the beautiful hummingbird aviary at Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum which is exclusively focused on hummingbirds who are, of course, native to the Sonoran Desert. The vegetation is extremely thick and makes for a great challenge when trying to spot the tiny denizens.
@Coelacanth18
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San Diego Zoo, CA
Opened: 2021
Size: 3,800 Square Feet (350 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: 20 South American birds including various tanager, honeycreeper, and hummingbird species.
San Diego is well known for its absolute plethora of spectacular aviaries, so be careful not to let this comparatively modest building get lost in the shuffle. While it’s referred to as a hummingbird aviary, this infinity loop shaped house showcases an excellent variety of South American birds, including several rarities. The unique figure eight design was a calculated decision in order to allow the birds to be out of view of one another to decrease aggression. This is done thanks to various green walls which were implemented for hiding and nesting opportunities, although the mock rock they grow out of is a tad unsightly. Modern tech was integrated into the building with electric blinds that will enclose the aviary when the temperature drops below the allowed limit. There is also a built in misting system working with various small ponds and streams tucked into the habitat. It’s only a few years old, but the furnishings have already grown nicely and wonderfully compliment the vibrance of the house’s residents. The old hummingbird aviary this replaced was a hidden gem often to its detriment, but this new exhibit has already proven to be an even greater success in both animal management and visitor reception.
@Coelacanth18
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
Similar Exhibits: I would also like to highlight the beautiful hummingbird aviary at Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum which is exclusively focused on hummingbirds who are, of course, native to the Sonoran Desert. The vegetation is extremely thick and makes for a great challenge when trying to spot the tiny denizens.
@Coelacanth18
@Coelacanth18
@Coelacanth18
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
While this aviary is decent, there’s other aviaries that are more worthy of “must see” status. I’m struggling to figure out why this aviary is must see.69. Hummingbird Habitat
San Diego Zoo, CA
Opened: 2021
Size: 3,800 Square Feet (350 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: 20 South American birds including various tanager, honeycreeper, and hummingbird species.
San Diego is well known for its absolute plethora of spectacular aviaries, so be careful not to let this comparatively modest building get lost in the shuffle. While it’s referred to as a hummingbird aviary, this infinity loop shaped house showcases an excellent variety of South American birds, including several rarities. The unique figure eight design was a calculated decision in order to allow the birds to be out of view of one another to decrease aggression. This is done thanks to various green walls which were implemented for hiding and nesting opportunities, although the mock rock they grow out of is a tad unsightly. Modern tech was integrated into the building with electric blinds that will enclose the aviary when the temperature drops below the allowed limit. There is also a built in misting system working with various small ponds and streams tucked into the habitat. It’s only a few years old, but the furnishings have already grown nicely and wonderfully compliment the vibrance of the house’s residents. The old hummingbird aviary this replaced was a hidden gem often to its detriment, but this new exhibit has already proven to be an even greater success in both animal management and visitor reception.
@Coelacanth18
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
Similar Exhibits: I would also like to highlight the beautiful hummingbird aviary at Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum which is exclusively focused on hummingbirds who are, of course, native to the Sonoran Desert. The vegetation is extremely thick and makes for a great challenge when trying to spot the tiny denizens.
@Coelacanth18
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@Coelacanth18
It’s species and advancements in welfare are both reasons why it’s a must see.
I love this aviary and will visit each time I’m at the zoo. When it had originally opened, you can see how young the plant life was and needing to grow inside this greenhouse-esque aviary. You will feel instantly warmer as soon as you enter, a nice bonus to avoid the rain we’ve been having down here69. Hummingbird Habitat
San Diego Zoo, CA
Opened: 2021
Size: 3,800 Square Feet (350 Square Meters)
Inhabitants: 20 South American birds including various tanager, honeycreeper, and hummingbird species.
San Diego is well known for its absolute plethora of spectacular aviaries, so be careful not to let this comparatively modest building get lost in the shuffle. While it’s referred to as a hummingbird aviary, this infinity loop shaped house showcases an excellent variety of South American birds, including several rarities. The unique figure eight design was a calculated decision in order to allow the birds to be out of view of one another to decrease aggression. This is done thanks to various green walls which were implemented for hiding and nesting opportunities, although the mock rock they grow out of is a tad unsightly. Modern tech was integrated into the building with electric blinds that will enclose the aviary when the temperature drops below the allowed limit. There is also a built in misting system working with various small ponds and streams tucked into the habitat. It’s only a few years old, but the furnishings have already grown nicely and wonderfully compliment the vibrance of the house’s residents. The old hummingbird aviary this replaced was a hidden gem often to its detriment, but this new exhibit has already proven to be an even greater success in both animal management and visitor reception.
@Coelacanth18
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
@Julio C Castro
Similar Exhibits: I would also like to highlight the beautiful hummingbird aviary at Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum which is exclusively focused on hummingbirds who are, of course, native to the Sonoran Desert. The vegetation is extremely thick and makes for a great challenge when trying to spot the tiny denizens.
@Coelacanth18
@Coelacanth18
@Coelacanth18
Had the fortune to speaking with a couple of keepers regarding the new habitat and both were excited about it, both had made mention how they’re able to meet the needs of their birds by allowing each species to have their niche space and improve their welfare due to the figure 8 design.
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
Hummingbirds aren’t exactly a species many get excited for. Also those two points aren’t about the exhibit. I’m struggling to see how the actual exhibit is must see.
I'm with you here. While this is certainly a good aviary, there are so many good aviaries in the US, including the ones that have already made the list, and I struggle to see how this aviary is on par with Wings of Asia, the Scripps Aviary, or the Columbus Songbird Aviary that's already been mentioned. I can easily get behind those three aviaries being included, but this aviary just seems like a respectable walk-through aviary that doesn't really stand above the pack as a "must-see".
I fail to see why the species in this aviary make it a must-see exhibit. The species list is irrelevant to the overall quality of the exhibit, which is what's being judged in this thread. Furthermore, most of the good walk-through aviaries in the US include at least one or two species of note, so the species list isn't something that I'd say sets this aviary above the rest even if that was a major criteria.
Out of curiosity, I went through this list and looked at how many walk-through aviaries have been covered so far, given that it's a common style of exhibitry and a number of them have made the cut. So far, the following six aviaries have been included, in order of inclusion:
- Sea Bird Aviary (Oregon Coast Aquarium)
- Stork Aviary (Racine Zoo)
- Scripps Aviary (San Diego Zoo)
- Wings of Asia (Zoo Miami)
- Migratory Songbird Aviary (Columbus Zoo)
- Hummingbird Habitat (San Diego Zoo)
I'd be curious to see if any more aviaries make the cut, as there are a few very strong contenders that haven't been mentioned yet. Either way, six is a fairly large number of exhibits dedicated to a single style of exhibitry, although it is understandable why there'd be a lot of entries in this category since walk-through aviaries are a staple of the zoo world.