I remember looking out over the islands from the viewing corridor windows. The islands were considered revolutionary compared with barred enclosures but of course they were pretty bleak with regard to climbing apparatus. Perhaps boredom was the reason the chimps "interacted" so much with the public - observing, throwing "things" and so on?
Am I imagining things or were there some other ape islands, (gorillas or orangs), behind the ramp on the left leading up to the public viewing area?
1. Yes, the islands were very bare- an old tree stump on one and a broken metal swing on another is all I can remember- I never saw that dome-shaped shelter on the nearest island. Also I think the male Chimps reacted to the public because they were pretty close, though when they jumped at the windows of the passageway they could only just reach them. From memory they were shut outside in the daytime but could shelter in the recesses under the public walkway.
2. Correct, behind the ramp were the islands for Orangutans and the Eastern Gorilla pair 'Mukisi' and 'Noelle' These were small square/rectangular islands on the site of where the Red River Hogs are now. Doors behind the wall(still there) led to their indoor show dens which are now Hornbill(?) aviaries.
The lowland Gorilla pair 'Jason' & 'Gogal' were kept on the furthest of the three 'chimp' islands, not visible in this photo, until they were moved to the old Orangutan house.
1. Yes, the islands were very bare- an old tree stump on one and a broken metal swing on another is all I can remember- I never saw that dome-shaped shelter on the nearest island. Also I think the male Chimps reacted to the public because they were pretty close, though when they jumped at the windows of the passageway they could only just reach them. From memory they were shut outside in the daytime but could shelter in the recesses under the public walkway.
2. Correct, behind the ramp were the islands for Orangutans and the Eastern Gorilla pair 'Mukisi' and 'Noelle' These were small square/rectangular islands on the site of where the Red River Hogs are now. Doors behind the wall(still there) led to their indoor show dens which are now Hornbill(?) aviaries.
The lowland Gorilla pair 'Jason' & 'Gogal' were kept on the furthest of the three 'chimp' islands, not visible in this photo, until they were moved to the old Orangutan house.
Yes, they are hornbill aviaries. One is for a pair of Great Indian hornbills, and the other is for Javan rhinoceros hornbills. (Assuming I'm thinking of the same place, but on the other side of the aviary's back walls are the RRH, so I assume I am).
