The title really alarmed me when I saw the thumbnail over on YouTube, before I came over here. As an honest review of Tropical Forests it's mostly a fine video, but the original video title really made me expect something a lot more scathing. The title you used here is much more appropriate.
I agree with the core of your criticism of the dayroom for sure, and the bottleneck is a valid criticism I've not seen brought up as much as many others. I rushed the end of the exhibit because of the crowding and heat so that was a good one to bring up. I think a lot of the video is pretty good in these descriptions!
I don't think your criticism of concrete throughout the video is as clear as it could be. I think I know what you're trying to say but more from subtext than how you're explaining it. The first time you bring it up is kind of in passing and the second time you only really spotlight the orangutan cave area. Did you wish that the concrete was used to make more creative, naturalistic rockwork and not like the barren walls or take issue with concrete entirely as a substance being used in construction - it was a bit hard to discern between these two perspectives but they lead to pretty different solutions.
Although I absolutely agree the orangutan exhibit was the weakest part of the complex, I think you were harsh and also not as clear as you could be here. You criticize the use of synthetic tree stumps and similar elements but also refer to it as a manicured lawn, and you call it an "Elevated Arboreal Groundspace" in summary. It's not that some of this isn't valid criticism but it left me unclear which was the bigger problem -- that there was too much open space, that the climbing structures weren't realistic enough, or that they were unnatural, point blank, overlapping with the concrete issue above. Is it better to have an open lawn that's entirely natural or a more artificial exhibit where there is less open space? You do mention the lack of plantings. You also say the "behavior isn't convincing" while showing the animal in the transfer tunnel and I have no idea how to interpret this unless you are trying to argue the orangutans' reluctance to come out means the exhibit sucks. You then fall back on an "it's 2025" kind of argument and I don't know, I felt like a lot of the video was fairly professional and well-produced, but this section felt a bit less constructive and a bit more gripey.
I didn't really see the flooding opening day. There's obviously video evidence of it, and other zoochatters have mentioned seeing it in the garden area, but I'm surprised. I must have avoided it completely.
I's interesting you heard "there's talk" that the former gorilla exhibit might be renovated for drills. I had previously discussed the possibility of mandrill and it seemed like most agreed this wouldn't work, but I hadn't heard anything about drill. There are only a couple of drill left in the United States at the Atlanta Zoo, unless an import is planned from the EAZA. I did think your suggestion to reconnect it with the modern gorilla exhibits was interesting!
I also really appreciate you showing us the elevated viewing area, although in a way it's actually extremely frustrating, especially to find there are two separate private indoor viewing areas plus the observation deck. It's hard not to feel like at least some of this could have been publicly accessible space. The views look absolutely incredible for both the outdoor and even the indoor enclosures from these additional viewing areas.
One error:
"keeping its primates indoors since 1984"
I realize you're referring to Tropic World's resident primates, but because of your use of 'primates', I feel obligated to mention/remind that baboons were kept outside from 1934 until the closure of the exhibit in 2013, and lemurs had outdoor access between 2001 and the arrival of koala last year.
This thumbnail kills me. Was editing the orangutan exhibit to look like a post-apocalyptic hellscape really necessary?
Cool that you were able to get some drone footage though. Also appreciate the tour of the second floor of the gorilla house which looks terrific. Did you just contact the zoo and request access for this video?
