The open part of the huge gorilla enclosure in Givskud Zoo, Denmark. One of the best great ape enclosures I have seen. The male in the picture is Samson.
August 2007
The open part of the huge gorilla enclosure in Givskud Zoo, Denmark. One of the best great ape enclosures I have seen. The male in the picture is Samson.
August 2007
It looks like a paddock for hoofstock! I love the massive amount of space, but in the few photos posted so far it doesn't appear as if the gorillas have many thick jungle bushes to hide behind or even that many climbing opportunities.
The best thing about the outdoor enclosure is that it is 12 000 square meters big! I don´t know if the whole space is available to the animals at all times, but anyway - it seems as if the gorillas are able to hide away from vistors whenever they want to. That is a good thing! Also remember - as I wrote in some other commentary - that the gorillas were transferred to this place from Copenhagen Zoo, where they had spent their lives in an indoor exhibit of about 200 square meters....
Is it true the barrier fence around the perimeter- seen along the back in this photo- is just electrified stockfencing of the same height as for cattle or sheep? Is that the only barrier.? I heard the male Samson once climbed over it and then back into the enclosure again!!
This enclosure is very spacious but is mostly rough grassland with a couple of sight barriers in the form of clumps of vegetation surrounded by hotwire, one is on the right in the picture. I don't think its ever been planted up particularly for the Gorillas but despite that it still works fine.
