If you look at some of my other pictures you will see the Gorilla foraging all over the island, they love eating the lush growth around the island. The exhibit also has heat pads located around the island to encourage the Gorilla to spend time in the outdoors. There are real trees in the exhibit which the Gorilla have ventured up and there is plenty of rain in Ireland!
Yes, we can see all of that. There is masses of vegetation and the Gorillas will obviously come out at intervals and eat the stuff. There are, as far as I can see two(?) very large living trees, plus a sloping uprooted trunk leaning against one of them. I know many smaller trees have also been planted and the heated pads outdoors sounds like a good innovation too. IMO it doesn't constitute a rainforest though is undeniably still a very good exhibit. I think the Gorillas might prefer more overhead cover but I know this is never easy to achieve, particularly in a brand new exhibit.
Regarding the name- I wouldn't give it one at all. Just 'Gorillas'...
My fear is they have, like so many places, created this huge outdoor enclosure that will be very little used, irrespective of the climate or season. If they are not shut outside and given 'free choice', most of the group will spend much of their time using the indoor area or (if shut out) sitting close to the door.
AFAIK they have 'gardened' for the Gorillas, planting a huge variety of vegetation and small trees, but we will see if this makes any difference to the overall appearance of the area, longerterm. But I think using the term 'rainforest' is a mistake, any other term would provide a less obvious comparison.
Would I be right in thinking that you'd agree that the Howletts "gorillaria" are actually the best model for these apes in a damp, cool British/Irish climate?
They may not look terribly natural, but the animals always look fit, they are active (and not just physically - vocally too), and of course they breed at a rate that London, for one, won't equal this side of doomsday.
Would I be right in thinking that you'd agree that the Howletts "gorillaria" are actually the best model for these apes in a damp, cool British/Irish climate?
They may not look terribly natural, but the animals always look fit, they are active (and not just physically - vocally too), and of course they breed at a rate that London, for one, won't equal this side of doomsday.
I'd have to say yes, although they are ugly 'cages' they do provide that all important overhead cover which all Gorillas seem to relish. Those at Port Lympne with additional huge outdoor areas very pointedly hardly ever use them, apart from when they are lured outside during the scatter-feed sessions-otherwise they stay mostly in the covered cages. So it means the whole(covered) space of the Howletts enclosures can be utilised all the time. If you watch (filmed) behaviour of wild Lowland Gorillas, they seem to use the Forest to emerge from and retreat into, coming into the open 'Bai' or other open areas just to forage in and then retreating back into the forests to rest etc. This seems mirrored in captivity to me by the evident preference for covered areas. Yet most zoos building new enclosures for them still persist with creating these very large, mainly open areas, usually with a wide watermoat which sets them further away from the public, as this seems to be the current 'style' at present.
There's also something about the cohesion of the Howletts groups which is rarely seen elsewhere- possibly because they are large and usually contain most age classes. Its also the only place I've heard Gorillas communicate by 'singing'- in anticipation of being fed from the roof- a strange humming/whining noise up and down the scale. They may do it elsewhere too obviously- but I've never heard it, possibly because you don't normally get so close to Gorillas when they are being fed.
In contrast this Dublin group is small but still nicely composed- silverback, adult female, younger female, blackback and juvenile males, and 2 babies(1.1). Considering it has grown from just one pair(Harry & Lena) they have done very well with them, and I would like to see one more female added (when available) to give an even better sex ratio and more potential for its growth.
London could still get their act together- they just need some luck and a more flexible approach- like bringing in a younger(fertile) male under Kesho.
