This building is currently closed, so the gorillas ccan only be seen on their island. There are copies of this poster by each door. Click for a larger view. Bristol, 22nd September 2012.
This building is currently closed, so the gorillas ccan only be seen on their island. There are copies of this poster by each door. Click for a larger view. Bristol, 22nd September 2012.
This building is currently closed, so the gorillas ccan only be seen on their island. There are copies of this poster by each door. Click for a larger view. Bristol, 22nd September 2012.
This is probably a loaded question, but there have been several UK gorilla pictures popping up in the gallery lately and I'm curious if there is any consensus on where the best UK gorilla exhibits are? Would this be one of them?
Yes, work has started. The okapis have moved out and there are sheds and equipment in their old paddock. The keeper doing the scatter feed on Monday afternoon came out from the house wearing a hard hat and a high vis jacket (presumably site rules for the whole interior, except that they don't apply to the gorillas).
The Bristol exhibit is brilliant for gorilla watchers now, because the extra scatter feeds mean that the gorillas spend more time outside, at least on nice days. My answer to David Brown's question is that Bristol is certainly one of the UK's best exhibits for seeing gorillas now, although the improvements to the indoor area are very welcome. Each of the others has its strengths and weaknesses - I still think that the only bad feature of the 'Palace of the Apes' at Port Lympne is its name
My answer to David Brown's question is that Bristol is certainly one of the UK's best exhibits for seeing gorillas now, although the improvements to the indoor area are very welcome. Each of the others has its strengths and weaknesses - I still think that the only bad feature of the 'Palace of the Apes' at Port Lympne is its name
I would concur with both GL's remarks here. IMO with the new larger interior that they are doing, Bristol has the potenial to be the best exhibit in the UK- the main drawback has been the rather cramped nature to the indoors which is now being remedied.
The Port Lympne 'Palace' has an equal claim perhaps, but in a very different style and the 'indoor' viewing here is virtually non-existent(just through a big service door.) though of course they do have a large covered enclosure with glass viewing windows plus a large outdoor paddock too.
Viewing-wise I would also add London's enclosure, though the indoor 'dayroom' is rather small and the Gorillas themselves still don't represent a proper social group of course.
