Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens LA Zoo Gorilla Exhibit

Well, I suppose I won't change you minds in how you go about making your "voice heard." Or, about how much I see your support for a zoo when you say things like how "disappointed" you are with them. So, I'll leave with this comment.

Btw, you know, my friend Sue, I'm really disappointed in the fact that she doesn't make sure her children are getting enough exercise and green vegetables. I haven't told her yet, but maybe she'll make a change now that I've said this online, especially since some of you reading think poorly of "Sue" now. Hmmm ... I've now lost a friend, some of you may now along with me think poorly of Sue, and maybe some of her other friends saw this and think more poorly of her, but she'll change now.... At least I'm getting her to change. Right?
 
A better analogy would be: I am disappointed with Bill's new backyard landscape. The arrangement isn't very functional and it is aesthetically lacking. With the money I heard he spent, he should have gotten a lot more out of it. But that's not even a good analogy, because Bill's backyard is not a PUBLIC place!
 
Ituri said:
A better analogy would be: I am disappointed with Bill's new backyard landscape. The arrangement isn't very functional and it is aesthetically lacking. With the money I heard he spent, he should have gotten a lot more out of it. But that's not even a good analogy, because Bill's backyard is not a PUBLIC place!
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Yes, it's a not a good analogy at all(his/hers), and like you say, even yours isn't really good.

A message board about a sports team or politics where someone critiques a team or politicians actions is a good analogy imo.
 
@MickiP65 - While I sympathize with your point of view that we Zoochatters are sometimes too overly critical, zoos need to be able to accept criticism. It is one of the most important catalysts for change. I've said this so many times before - zoos are one of the most quickly evolving industries on the planet. Animal management, visitor experiences, and exhibit design change so quickly it's hard for zoos to keep up. But if there isn't criticism or no one sees "room for improvement" then there isn't a reason to change. Zoos must evolve just as our knowledge of animal management evolves as well.

My main problem with Campo Gorilla Reserve is the lack of shade or climbing structures. Anyone who disputes gorillas live in Central Africa, most of which is covered by thick forest with plenty of shade, is nuts. And anyone who disputes gorillas don't enjoy climbing are equally as nuts. Therefore, in my opinion, an exhibit that lacks two important components of gorilla life is not the best Gorilla exhibit.

Also - no one is questioning the care of the gorillas! Every Zoochatter knows that every animal in a zoo is well cared for and it is foolish to infer that questioning an exhibits design is a sign of poor quality animal life. We are simply analyzing the aspects of the exhibit that make it a good or bad gorilla exhibit.
 
Thank you, ColumbusZoo001. I appreciate the well thought out message. It is well said with little negativism, but rather constructively put together. I have no problem with criticism done in the right manner and tones. I'd rather it first be given to the source, as I've stated. But, statements made with such undertones of negativism like those made before your message are unnecessary and could very well cause a more difficult hill to climb for our zoos that are already working so hard to do right for these animals.

Again, thank you.
 
I had a chance to see the Campo Gorilla Reserve exhibit last month. I agree that the space for the apes seemed too small and all the hot wire just made the exhibit smaller. Regardless of whether or not you like the chimp and orang exhibits, they are certainly a huge improvement over what those animals had before.

One nice feature of the chimp exhibit is the play area behind the formal exhibit which can be accessed by the chimps from their night quarters.
 
As a long-time L.A. Zoo visitor and supporter, I must say that I've also been somewhat disappointed with some of the finished products. Don't get me wrong, I love this zoo and I've seen it go through all its ups and downs since 1966. I've probably visited there more than anyone else on this site, and wonder concerning Campo Gorilla Reserve for instance, where are all the trees promised in those beautiful drawings we saw in Zoo View back in the 1990s? Someone once commented on one of the photos in the gallery, that the city doesn't want trees and other climbing structures due to possible worker injuries from cleaning them. I hope that's not the ridiculous reason several large trees are still sitting unused in their planter boxes, directly behind the Gorillas as you walk towards the Bongo exhibt. I mean sitting there for probably the last 9 or 10 years as if still at a local nursery. And bamboo? Where is the thick bamboo also depicted in the lushly planted colorful magazine illustrations? And it's not as if we can't still touch up things with lush plant matter.

On a more positive note, I think Pachyderm Forest will finally redeem my beloved zoo when completed. From what I can observe, we're talking about a beautiful space for Billy and other future residents. A space that's said to be at least as big as Dodger Stadium. There's still hope for the rare and endangered animals here in the city I grew up in.
 
I have no problem with the size of the gorilla enclosures. They seemed plenty large to me. The exhibit is beautiful to look at for visitors however for the gorillas it is lacking. They have no plants to grasp because they are all hot-wired and there is no canopy to keep them covered.
 
BlackRhino said:
I have no problem with the size of the gorilla enclosures. They seemed plenty large to me. The exhibit is beautiful to look at for visitors however for the gorillas it is lacking. They have no plants to grasp because they are all hot-wired and there is no canopy to keep them covered.
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When the exhibit first opened, it was twice more lush than what it is now. The only problem was that not all the plants were hotwired, so the gorillas had a feast. The small trees survived longer, but Glenda (the baby) climbed on them and eventually broke them. So now it seems as though the exhibit is all grass with everything else hotwired.
 
mstickmanp said:
When the exhibit first opened, it was twice more lush than what it is now. The only problem was that not all the plants were hotwired, so the gorillas had a feast. The small trees survived longer, but Glenda (the baby) climbed on them and eventually broke them. So now it seems as though the exhibit is all grass with everything else hotwired.
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Its a case of allowing the vegetation to get sufficient hold so that it becomes capable of withstanding any damage from the Gorilla group. If they hotwire large areas now and replant those areas extensively with bamboo/trees etc and deny the Gorillas access, in few years some of it at least should be mature enough to withstand direct access by the gorillas. Live trees are always a problem though as the gorillas will kill them by 'ringbarking' the trunks so they may have to stay hotwired permanently. But yyou can still have a heavily vegetated enclosure if the correct 'rules of access' are applied at the beginning.
 
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