Woo, someone liked my idea haha
I think it could be done, zoomesh is a wonderful thing. Maybe someone should e-mail the zoo with a link to all these threads?
Edit: I like the idea of the vines over it too. However I can see this could be one of those annoying things which never gets fixed, despite how simple it could be or how many people want it done. I wonder what their keeping staff think of this exhibit?
Surely Chimps would appreciate this exhibit more? They don't require as many climbing structures and they'd use the woodchip to forage in. That being said, it would need to be bigger but do you see what I mean?
it would indeed be far more suitable for Chimpanzees as it is now. they would race around, scatter and dig in the woodchip, fish items from the seemingly huge(?) pool of water, climb the poles and plastic strips, sit on the platforms and artificial rockwork and logs(are they fake too?), use the platforms to stamp and display on, even use the concrete walls as display props too.
A covered mesh enclosure(with viewing windows) of a similar shape and size would have been so much more useful for Orangutans to let them use far more of the space inside and to hang ropes or plastic vines from and, as someone said, allow brachiation which they CANNOT do in here. With some planting and vines covering the exterior surface it would also have given a better 'forest feel' than this ever will.
A covered mesh enclosure(with viewing windows) of a similar shape and size would have been so much more useful for Orangutans to let them use far more of the space inside and to hang ropes or plastic vines from and, as someone said, allow brachiation which they CANNOT do in here. With some planting and vines covering the exterior surface it would also have given a better 'forest feel' than this ever will.
Seeing the orangs brachiate at Chester's RORA was fantastic.
I've heard some people suggest that perhaps Colchester's exhibit is as it is because Rajang is old and wouldn't brachiate anyway but I am sceptical about this, and, in any case, this doesn't take any future orangs into account.
I keep getting drawn back to these threads about Orangutan Forest as I am at a total loss why the facility to brachiate has not been included in an orangutan enclosure. When I picture an orangutan, that is how I first and foremost picture them ......... moving through trees and vines. It's surely such a fundamental consideration for an orangutan, so why is it missing ? I'm sat here shaking my head and thinking, surely this basic aspect of orangutan behaviour can't have been forgotten about, which leads you to think, that someone, somewhere along the line in this project, made a conscious decision NOT to include brachiation opportunities - which is madness, and very upsetting for anyone who has an interest in, and a care for, orangutans.
It even crossed my mind (after Ashley had suggested it would make a better chimpanzee area) that there might be a long term plan going on here ........ given Rajang's age, and the fact that Colchester's chimp area is in need (IMO) of updating/enlargement ? Though it would be pretty small.
It's like building a hippo exhibit with no pool. One of their most basic requirements and it's just not there! I don't care what it looks like, I'd rather see the money put into stuff for the animals, but it looks like they didn't think of either whilst planning this! Maybe they'd be better to let the zoo keepers design the rest of their exhibits?
Might be wholly wrong, but I'd be very surprised if any architect had any significant role in designing this. Architects do get things wrong, horribly so of course, but I think a half-decent architect, well briefed, would have managed to avoid many of the obvious problems here. There is a real suspicion of architects in many British zoos, possibly going back to Gerald Durrell's comment about them bieng the most dangerous animal in the zoo, and certainly there have been some architect-driven abominations in the past (mainly in London Zoo). But a bit of architecture, and crucially landscape architecture, is certainly needed in most British zoos - and Colchester especially.
I've heard some people suggest that perhaps Colchester's exhibit is as it is because Rajang is old and wouldn't brachiate anyway but I am sceptical about this, and, in any case, this doesn't take any future orangs into account.
Although he is quite old he's perfectly fit and not all all obese so he would pobably use more sophisticated climbing equipment if it was offered. As would younger active Orangs in the future.
What's really sad is the thought that given his age (he is 41 in June) there is the real possibility that will have spent, and will spend most if not all of his life being unable to brachiate (I don't know what facilities were like at Chester back then for the 1st 11 years of his life 1968 to 1980).
I am trying to compose a letter of constructive criticism and enquiry to send to Colchester in the hope the powers-that-be might yet consider modifying the enclosure to allow this to happen. Hopefully I can find time to send it in the next couple of weeks and hopefully it won't be ignored, though of course, if lots of similar letters or emails were received, a review of the enclosure would probably be more likely.
What's really sad is the thought that given his age (he is 41 in June) there is the real possibility that will have spent, and will spend most if not all of his life being unable to brachiate (I don't know what facilities were like at Chester back then for the 1st 11 years of his life 1968 to 1980).
Chester's original Orang House wasn't particularly good. A small flat island with an ok climbing frame and a few dead trees on it. Indoor accomodation was fairly basic but had a larger climbing frame than outside and allowed the Orangs to get quite high in the house.
He wouldn't have been able to brachiate like the Orangs can do in the new house.
