This is one of the best exhibits at the Melbourne Zoo, and it was the site of an extensive visitor survey when it opened (around 1991?). People found the apes much more interesting, beautiful, impressive, etc, once the old ape cage was demolished in favour of this lush, noteworthy jungle.
A great looking exhibit, i bet all that cover gives the gorillas more confidence in their enclosure.
Are the trees within the enclosure hot wired at all?
People found the apes much more interesting, beautiful, impressive, etc, once the old ape cage was demolished in favour of this lush, noteworthy jungle.
The old Ape 'grottoes' are still there, next to this exhibit. They originally held all three Great Ape species but now just the surplus male Gorillas(Motaba and his two sons) It is a typical 'sixties' type design in reddish 'rock' concrete and will hopefully be demolished at some stage.
My only complaint of the main enclosure is you can't see the Gorillas indoors- but being Australia they can be outdoors virtually all the time during opening hours. I know they are shut outside but with the very good overhead cover the trees give, I don't think that is any problem here, as it is in some places. Compare this exhibit with e.g. the new one at Valencia in Spain!
Some sections of vegetation and some trees used to be hot-wired but that was some years back- I don't know the situation now. I can't remember when it opened but it was well before 1998, I first saw it in about 1991(and again in about 2000) and it wasn't quite brand new even then.
There is definatley hotwire on 3-4 of the biggest trees but there are plenty of small un hotwired palms and the section i view here has become so overgrown with shrubs it is quite hard to see the gorillas at times.
This photo is taken from a very interesting vantage point. It is themed as a researchers hut and has info boards on all of the gorillas on exhibit and a family tree of Melbourne Zoos gorillas. I really like it.
There is definatley hotwire on 3-4 of the biggest trees but there are plenty of small un hotwired palms and the section i view here has become so overgrown with shrubs it is quite hard to see the gorillas at times.
With the increased maturity of the vegetation., this certainly rates now as one of the most naturalistic Gorilla exhibits to be seen anywhere worlwide in my opinion.
Some of the trees are hotwired and other areas are sporadically "wired off" to allow for regeneration. That said, there is always large areas of vegetation that are not protected and the gorillas have plenty of access to the vegetation. I have never seen any of the adult gorillas climb the trees, although when the troope has infants they regularly do (and have been allowed to destroy a few mature trees in the past as well!).
I can't remember when it opened but it was well before 1998, I first saw it in about 1991(and again in about 2000) and it wasn't quite brand new even then.
