One of the smaller rooms that make up the indoor exhibits for gorillas in Apenheul, the Netherlands. Nasty little bedrooms that stands in a sharp constrast to the brilliant outdoor exhibit.
July 2008
Yes the indoors don't look nice and are on the small side, but apart from the lacking of soft substrate, I think this is one of the better gorilla indoors. Yes it looks pretty small, but because the exhibit is built as a circle with every part having 2 exits, it is large enough for gorilla's. It is big enough to go out of each others sight and way. Gorilla's aren't the most active of the great apes...
I've seen this group once in januar and they were indoor the whole day and they looked very relaxed and I have never seen any signs of non-natural behaviour. I don't have the idea that the gorilla's consider this as a bad exhibit...
I've seen this group once in januar and they were indoor the whole day and they looked very relaxed and I have never seen any signs of non-natural behaviour. I don't have the idea that the gorilla's consider this as a bad exhibit...
I often think in most cases the Gorillas tolerate whatever enclosure they are given without any ill effects. Its us humans who see it either as 'good' or 'bad', cramped or spacious, light or gloomy etc. I think in Apenheul's case the contrast is specifically between the enormous natural outdoor area and these small bedroom areas.
