I wouldn't say it is the best designed exhibit in Australia, that prize would go to Kubu River Hippos at Werribee, it is magnificent and the theming is spectacular. But I really did enjoy Melbourne Zoo, some new and interesting animals in great exhibits.
And BTW, Taronga's gorillas don't utilize all of the exhibt. They mostly use the right hand side of the exhibit. Why? Because their silverback likes staying indoors under a roof, and the day room is on the right handed side of the exhibit.
Peacock- that is a very good view indeed- I think they may have extended the viewing areas since I was last there- the best view then was at the bay window(which was very good and close too). I think the views into the enclosure have always been good- but my comment was the number of places you could view from used to be very limited. However it is definately a much better enclosure IMO than Taronga's on two counts-1. planting/vegetation cover and 2. overall size.
UMZAG-if the Taronga group have regular access to the dayroom area, does Kibabu spend a lot of time in it? Research in one or two zoos where the Gorillas have free access(indoors and out) has shown the Silverback in particular will spend over 90% of his time indoors- only emerging mainly for scatter or public feeding sessions. Where the Gorillas are shut out- particularly in enclosures that are very open,(unlike Melbourne) the silverback is quite possibly watching/waiting all the time for the door to be opened to the inside (as you saw with Rigo). Rigo's son 'YaKwanza' at Jersey- where they are shut out in good weather, often sits by the door and belts it, wanting to go back inside. Not really an ideal situation, I think.
We all know the sad story of Rigo. The first time I saw him he was an absolutely superb male in his prime(about fifteen years old then)- things could have been very different if he had had a group of females then.
I would rate the chances of natural mating from him now as 0% (would like to be wrong of course) if he has showed no interest in the younger females. From A.I. scarcely higher.
UMZAG-if the Taronga group have regular access to the dayroom area, does Kibabu spend a lot of time in it? Research in one or two zoos where the Gorillas have free access(indoors and out) has shown the Silverback in particularly will spend over 90% of his time indoors- only emerging for scatter or public feeding sessions. Where the Gorillas are shut out- particular in enclosures that are very open,(unlike Melbourne) the silverback is quite possibly watching/waiting all the time for the door to be opened to the inside (as you saw with Rigo). Rigo's son 'YaKwanza' at Jersey- where they are shut out in good weather, often sits by the door and belts it, wanting to go back inside. Not really an ideal situation, I think.
Oh yes he does. You most likely find him in it or close to the entrance to it. The furthest he goes from the day room is the stacked logs in the centre of the exhibit where the waterfall is, otherwise he is in the day room most of the time. As I said females follow and move with the silverback, so you can be sure a few females and their offspring are in the day room because of him (exception of poor Frala).
This is almost universal behaviour, if they have the choice.
Bristol is one where they studied the enclosure usage by the different animals and found that the male 'Jock' spends something like 95% + of his time indoors (where he mostly sits or sleeps) The females and young do go out more but being focused on him are often drawn inside too. Nowadays I only ever see him go outside when they are fed. The Gorillas at Port Lympne behave in very similar fashion too.
Where they can be seen freely outdoors (such as Melbourne, London etc), people often don't realise they are actually shut outside. In those cases the male attaches himself largely to a cave (if there is one) or some other cover like a shady shelter or platform he can sit/lie under. In the old cage at London one male would hide under a plastic dustbin. I've seen film of a male somewhere else emerging from under a low shelf he was sleeping underneath, almost using it like a burrow..
Of course the limitation of such studies is in trying to compare one exhibit to another. Obviously there is more to it than "in" vs. "out." Unless the details of each environment can be compared, including not only the animals' space but what is around it, how close the humans can get, etc. there is little to be generalized.
