Young Tuan and Njonja in 1968.

Photo copyright British Pathe News, but shows from inside, the outside enclosure, looking towards the public over the moat, showing just how tiny the enclosure was. The water water level was reduced at the time because of the risk that the young apes might fall into it and drown. When full it was quite deep at the public side.

Nanook said:

Photo copyright British Pathe News, but shows from inside, the outside enclosure, looking towards the public over the moat, showing just how tiny the enclosure was. The water water level was reduced at the time because of the risk that the young apes might fall into it and drown. When full it was quite deep at the public side.

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If ever there was an Ape House where you could expect an ape to drown in the moat, this was it-yet strangely none ever did!

Pertinax said:

If ever there was an Ape House where you could expect an ape to drown in the moat, this was it-yet strangely none ever did!

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Indeed, there was a question mark over how the first Gorilla Anduan died and male Chimp Albany too.
I seem to remember that the water moat did not have the three electric wires on the ape`s side when it was first built, but these were later introduced which makes me wonder ? The apes did have a bad habit of reaching out into the water to collect items of food thrown in by the public also.