There are some fine-looking exhibits at Palmyre Zoo but there are at least two gibbon islands that are borderline dreadful. Each is surrounded by a beatific backdrop of tall green trees, but the actual islands are tiny with limited climbing opportunities. For a forest species it is shocking to see how the space for the apes is wide-open to the elements and the only place for shelter or shade is a tiny wooden hut.
For a forest species it is shocking to see how the space for the apes is wide-open to the elements and the only place for shelter or shade is a tiny wooden hut.
It is ironic- the islands are surrounded by lush woodland, yet the Gibbons have only bare islands to use.The previous Gorilla islands were very similar- very open and there was basically one tiny rocky cave and a woodplatform they could crawl underneath!
The new Ape islands seem far more spacious and with little mushroom-shaped shelters dotted around on them but they don't look very natural. I also don't like the excessive use of the monolith-type Rockwork in some of these exhibits- more vegetation would be far more preferable.
This is not just borderline dreadful, it is dreadful. The new ape enclosures are much better then the old barren islands, but they still could be so much better with more vegetation, climbing possibilities and without the gigantic water moat.
I'd have to agree with the negative comments. I thought La Palmyre to be a dreadful zoo when I visited, two years ago. I cannot think of a single good exhibit there; the feeding of animals by the public is dangerous (to animals and visitors); it's not even a nice place to visit in terms of gardens, cafes and so on. The new ape house is an expensive monstrosity. There are so many good zoos in France - but this, sadly, is not one of them.
Well you summed up the situation of La Palmyre zoo
I visited almost ten times this zoo from 1990 to 2011 (last visit this summer 2011). Apart from the three major expansions (African plain / Nocturama and elephants in 1993, underwater polar bears enclosure and reptiles tropical greenhouse in 1996 and finally the great ape complex last year in 2010), no enclosure has changed in twenty years, only those of tigers, jaguars, alpacas, African wild dogs, macaws (the islands near the giant tortoises), Brazilian tapirs and wolves (generally not bigger than the former ... and not necessarily better). If we make a general observation, almost all of the enclosures of La Palmyre zoo are too small and outdated. Animals have no place to hide from the public. They have almost no vegetation (trees, plants) in their enclosures and any climbing structures and enrichment. Finally 90% of the land enclosures are made of sand, even if the animal comes from a tropical environment or forestry.
La Palmyre zoo is purely a commercial zoo where a visitor can walk and see the animals quickly. All pens are fully visible, and in less than 30 seconds animals are finding. They have no place to escape from the sight of visitors. As this famous gibbon island, where monkeys have minimum enrichment and are directly visible.
For the new complex of great apes, the islands are actually larger but, again, the animals have very little enrichment (no trees are free to access), few vegetation (except the two male gorillas island) and little climbing structure (mainly for the orang outan). The worst of the four islands is for me that of chimpanzees with these fake rocks (as kopjes) that don’t fit the environment of this species. Not to mention the indoor enclosure (large enough) but with climbing structures that look more like children's games as a natural environment
Finally, and as said "Sooty Mangabey," La Palmyre zoo is far from to be the better zoo in France (And even if it claims to be the first private french zoo). For many French zoo lovers, this park is outdated and comes well behind others such as Doué la Fontaine, La vallée des Singes, Cerza or other
He’s maybe the first for the number of visitors or for profit, but not at the level of animal facilities and enclosures. Worse still, he doesn’t progress, while zoos like Beauval or Amnéville have become more important to him in recent years. And it's really a shame, because this park has a real potential: a beautiful forest site, an interesting animal collection (including rare birds, ungulates, big and small carnivores, many monkeys with nearly 10 species of tamarins and marmosets ...) and certainly one of the best French zoo veterinary team.
(PS: I hope I haven’t made too many errors in translation, and didn’t scratch your language too)
the islands are actually larger but, again, the animals have very little enrichment (no trees are free to access), few vegetation (except the two male gorillas island) and little climbing structure (mainly for the orang outan). The worst of the four islands is for me that of chimpanzees with these fake rocks (as kopjes) that don’t fit the environment of this species. Not to mention the indoor enclosure (large enough) but with climbing structures that look more like children's games as a natural environment
I agree with all your comments on the new Ape islands, very unnatural in appearance, both the outside quarters and the inside areas too- obviously they cost a lot but not at all attractive and not very 'Ape-friendly' for the inmates either. The inside areas look spacious but do more look like a children's playground area than an ape quarters.
La Palmyre have lost many Gorillas in the past- both adults and younger ones- its a long list. I hated the old Gorilla islands, small and bare with just a tiny cave for shelter, where the previous male would hide for long periods as they appeared to be shut out on them. The two adult males still just living together isn't good either though I won't blame the Zoo for that situation as these things can arise.
