Do all three gorillas have access to both indoor enclosures yet, and is the other outside bit being used yet? I think they should knock down the wall outside to make one bigger enclisure and ladscape it abit?
I thought exactly the same. The great apes at Twycross always look so out of place next to terracotta brick - anything less natural would be hard to imagine (even the infamous Colchester 'rock' is arguably more 'natural' than housebricks). Anyway ...... it's good to read that the mixing appears to be successful.
I see a couple of Zoochatters have taken exception to the red brickwork.Many zoo animals LOVE this surface , although not necessarily for any aesthetic qualities.Rather, they find sitting close to it to be a great source of warmth , especially appreciated in zoos in cooler climates.Anybody who has stood close to a red brick wall as sunlight is fading and the day begins to cool will be able to testify to the thermal qualities of the brickwork.In energy conscious times, this is a fantastic "free" advantage.Old zoo bulidings , constructed in red brick well over a century ago stiil look strikingly handsome today.You will see no finer looking zoo building anywhere than the Roberts House (Dublin Zoo), a masterwork in red brick.What will all the newest concrete zoo buildings look like within a few years?Of course, the superior red brick walls have plenty of mortar in the interstices , and the newer bricklaying methods where you could hardly fit a hair between the bricks is not the real thing at all.So if animals appreciate the brickwork for its practical advantages and visitors find it pretty, what is the problem?Fine zoos should not be afraid of red brick, iron & wood.Not everything must be made of concrete & glass!
True European Fauna, you make a very valid point about how bricks absorb warmth and how that would be advantageous for many animals ..... my cats certainly take advantage of that at home !
My own personal objection to the bricks is aesthetic admittedly and at Twycross in particular the ape enclosures look so sterile with the combination of bricks and closely mowed lawn. I'd love to see the grass left to grow naturally, and lots more planting so the animals didn't seem quite so exposed (which I guess some visitors would actually see as a disadvantage).
Great shot of Boulas in his new home.
I am not too surprised they have got them together quickly- Boulas comes directly from a female group and Bongo & Biddy have had several previous male companions too (Joe,Mamfe, SamSam) so it should have been fairly easy.
I know this is really supposed to be a 'retirement' situation but despite that Boulas will still no doubt mate with Biddy- Is he really infertile? It will be interesting to see if anything happens.
He's thinking- crikey, what a lot of brick walls.... But he was introduced very quickly to Bongo and Biddy and they seem to have fully accepted him too.
