The exhibit is hotwired to death, and yes the huge tree in the centre is covered with electric wire. The 4 gorilla habitats at Zoo Atlanta are definitely spacious, but the hotwire is terrible...
THey should give the Gorillas some plants that are not hot-wired then with the really valuable ones they should hot-wire them so the Gorillas don't destroy them. Also the trees that they do hot-wire they should make the hot-wire blend in some how. This way the exhibit has nice plants, no visible ugly hot-wire, and still plants the Gorillas can eat/destroy/play with, etc. This is why Bronx has a much better Gorilla exhibit than Atlanta.
I agree, and the Bronx's Congo Gorilla Forest is by far and away the best ape exhibit that I've ever seen. The one good thing about Zoo Atlanta is that they have around 22 gorillas in 4 different habitats, and so that allows for loads of mixing of groups.
Hot-wire in zoo exhibits has become a hate subject of mine, especially since I joined this forum and became particularly alerted to the sad phenomenon. Now I almost suspicously look out for these damn wires in every zoo photo that I watch.....
Hotwire can tarnish the image of a great exhibit, because often an enclosure can be a basic field with everything that is lush and intriguing to the animals cut off to them by electrifed wire. I agree with Dan's assessment...
Once again, I'll make the point that hotwire is necessary to maintain trees for shade (and other vegetation for "decorative" purposes) for many large mammals unless they are exhibited in huge spaces (which most zoos don't have). I've never heard anyone complain about the hotwires in Seattle's Gorilla and jaguar exhibits, Congo Gorilla Forest, Predator Ridge, or many other exhibits where great pains are taken to disguise the wires and posts. But without the electrical protection, this Atlanta exhibit would look like the cleared farmland AROUND the Virungas, as the large number of gorillas exhibited there almost certainly would have greatly damaged or killed the big mature trees that create the canopy we all agree gorillas prefer. There are basically three options: 1. Huge exhibits where people might not see animals, and still some level of tree destruction, 2. Hotwires to protect trees, or 3. Deforested "soccer fields" with artificial shade structures.
Could zoos not use trees which the Gorilla's won't like the taste of? I think animals don't normally like the taste of Ash tree, as apparently it tastes quite bitter.
If they didn't like the taste, then they wouldn't eat it, eliminating the need for hotwire and still allowing them complete access to the trees.
