Were the walls higher when these enclosures held great apes? Now that there are capybaras, giant anteaters and coatis in the pair of exhibits (one large and one small) the zoo has been improved but the exhibits are still overshadowed by the mock-rock walls in the background.
Were the walls higher when these enclosures held great apes? Now that there are capybaras, giant anteaters and coatis in the pair of exhibits (one large and one small) the zoo has been improved but the exhibits are still overshadowed by the mock-rock walls in the background.
I don't think that the walls were higher. The larger grotto was until quite recently (2009?) a chimp exhibit. Two of the grottos were merged after the gorillas left in the early 1990s to form a slightly less-awful chimp exhibit. The orangs fortunately got a much nicer exhibit, but they lived in the smaller grotto until the new exhibit was built. It took the Fresno Zoo a long time to let go of their very outmoded ape exhibit and send away some of their most popular animals (chimps, gorillas), but I give them credit for doing it.
I also just realized that the former moat has been filled in, giving the current inhabitants substantially more room than the apes had.
They have mentioned bringing back gorillas possibly at some point in the future, but not sure how near term. They are building an African savanna area with elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffes, etc. due in 2014, so it would be sometime past that.
In the meantime they have a decent orangutan/siamang exhibit at least for Fresno ape fans.
