Amazing Moments

[Gigit]

I feel very privileged to be able to visit Paignton frequently. Each visit brings some sort of memorable moment, not least being recognised by a number of animals.
My most memorable experiences are probably those involving orangutans. My first close encounter was with young Beau, who was being hand raised at Twycross. On this occasion, he was looking a bit forlorn in a den in one of the chimp houses and I spent some time trying to "entertain" him. The keeper came to collect him and, as she carried him past me, he stretched out his hand to me and I did the same to him. Our hands slid down each other's arms as he was carried off. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was a very intense moment for me. I expect some of you will be able to sympathise!

 

[GillP]

A recent one for me that comes to mind.

I was able to spend 20minutes on my own in Realm of the Red Ape (and anyone who's visited will know how difficult that is to achieve!) and sat at the window with Subis and her eldest offspring (the name escapes me at the moment).

It was a really nice moment because even though the Orangs usually reside by the windows, there are many other people pushing their way to get a look. So to get an extended period of time just watching them was pretty special.

My amazing moment(s) are also at RORA. The 1st time I went I was so excited (as I'd wanted to go ever since it opened and it's a 4 hour drive for me) and I'd practically run all the way there as soon as the public were let in. Like you, we managed a good 20-30 minutes on our own before anyone else came in and I was agog at the number of orangs in this fantastic enclosure, demonstrating how they brachiate in the wild. Then Emma clocked us by the window, and seemed very deliberately to go off and fetch Indah, then bring her back over to show her off, like 'look at my baby !' ...... yes, I appreciate I'm attributing human qualities to her by saying that but nonetheless it was a fantastic moment (well, a good 15 mins actually !) and I confess I cried lots because I felt it was such a privilege to see these animals so close up, without anyone else to impinge upon the moment and for them seemingly choosing to come and interact with us. Emma also demonstrated great dexterity by knotting one of the cords so she had a window side 'hammock' to sit on ..... something they all do apparently, but which I'd never seen before.

Despite only having been to Chester 3 times now due to the distance, I've always been very lucky at RORA. The 2nd time, despite it being a Saturday (albeit winter), we were by ourselves for almost an hour 1st thing - marvellous. The trick is definitely to go 1st or last thing ..... when we popped back midday it was a total scrum, and very noisy (just hope the enclosure is sound proofed).

 

[Pygathrix]

The first one I ever saw was in a museum. It was MUCH bigger than I had expected- I was thinking a Squirrel-sized animal. I first saw a live one at Jersey Zoo but I still find them as extraordinary as on that first time.

As well as expecting them too be smaller, I also had the idea that aye-ayes would move very slowly and deliberately, like lorises. I first saw them in Paris and was amazed at how lively they are. This was all the more amazing as like Pertinax I had always assumed that they would be declared extinct in my lifetime and I never thought I would see one. If only the same thing could happen with the thylacine, now that really would be hard to top...

 

[Pertinax]

, I also had the idea that aye-ayes would move very slowly and deliberately, like lorises. I first saw them in Paris and was amazed at how lively they are.

They are big and bold, not small and deliberate- I too think I'd expected to see something slow-moving more like a Potto or Loris. At least with the Thylacine there are films of the live animals but I hadn't ever seen footage of an AyeAye before I saw a live one so it was even more of a surprise to see these big shaggy creatures climbing around at speed.
Its amazing how from being an almost mythical animal, the AyeAye has now come to be an established, although rare, Zoo species.

 

[Bele]

Just a few that come to mind - my first Aye-aye at Jersey ( obviously a popular choice this ) , the Sumatran rhinos at Port Lympne , Sea otter at Antwerp ( that put a really silly grin on my face ) , Proboscis monkeys in their little wooden shed at Twycross , very small snow leopard cubs at Howletts (this was years ago and there were very few in the UK ).

A couple of close encounters with apes many years ago - visiting the young Orangs in their enclosure in what is now the Aye-aye house at London Zoo , meeting Gordon Mills collection of Gorillas and Orangs at Weybridge with Jeremy Keeling ( I remember being warned about a female Orang that liked to grab people that got too close to the bars ) .

 

[Gigit]

A couple of close encounters with apes many years ago - visiting the young Orangs in their enclosure in what is now the Aye-aye house at London Zoo , meeting Gordon Mills collection of Gorillas and Orangs at Weybridge with Jeremy Keeling ( I remember being warned about a female Orang that liked to grab people that got too close to the bars ) .

I am green with envy

 

[redpanda]

I'm another who was very shocked when first watching an aye-aye at jersey come ambling out the darkness towards me, they're more like binturong than squirrels - that's got to be one of my amazing moments.

Another has to be watching the gorillas in the kitchen garden at howletts, in a completely indefinable way you feel so privelaged to be there.

Then there's encounters with large carnivores, I will never forget my first polar bear at central park zoo nor going behind the scenes at longleat to meet some of their cats.

Finally, the all time best has got to be when I first saw paignton's echidna lumbering around its enclosure and digging in a sand-pit, that was truly amazing.

 

[Mr Saxon]

Ooooooooo........

I guess it would have been last year at Belfast. It was just before the 3 new elephants arrived and Tina the elephant was on her own.
It was early in the morning so there wasn't anybody around. All the giraffes, zebras and Ostriches were outside so Tina was inside eating breakfast. I arrived, had the whole place to myself. I read the signs as usual, took a few photos of Tina and then just sort of talked to her. Said hello, nice weather ain't it, breakfast looks good, you know the sort of stuff you'd talk about to a person. And it gave me goosebumps, because as she ate, she seemed to nod and make some rumbling noises in response. I loved it.
Then when I said bye and made for the entrance, She made more rumbling noises and I just knew she wanted me to stay with her, so I did and she threw some hay over her back and I kept her company. But eventually, more people came in and I knew it was time to leave
(one man exclaimed "Geez, I thought there was horses in here!!")
So I slipped past a few people and was gone.

It was truely magical.

Other magical moments include seeing a cotton-top tamerian outside its enclosure. Just sitting on the top of it's exhibit and gave me a startled expression when it saw me. To be honest it seemed confused that it was outside its exhibit and unsure what to do.

 

[Mekmek]

I did a project on orang behaviour at Basel Zoo when I was at school, so spent a lot of time sitting there watching them. One day I went down to the glass just before I went, because one of the females, Sexta, used to sit by the glass a lot. I walked up to her and looked at her - and then she put her hand flat against the glass, and I put mine on the other side, and she looked straight at me - that gave me goosebumps. From then on, I used to go say goodbye to her every time just before I left - sometimes I put up my hand first, sometimes she put hers up - it always gave me shivers, even after many times, because she looked at me so directly.

There have been many beautiful moments at Basel Zoo - having the zoo all to myself on many mornings, watching the bison through the mist, watching the white-eyes building a nest..

I too loved seeing my first aye-aye, and thought they'd be smaller... It was at Frankfurt.
I also loved seeing my first pink pigeon, Meller's duck, socorro doves and gentle lemurs. (Durrell and London)

I'll never forget the day I first walked into Durrell (or Jersey Zoo) - I was so happy just to be there, having read so much about it and wanting to go for so long.

 

[Pertinax]

I'll never forget the day I first walked into Durrell (or Jersey Zoo) - I was so happy just to be there, having read so much about it and wanting to go for so long.

That's pretty much how I felt on my first visit to your local zoo-Basel!

My first visit to Jersey was very interesting too, but it was a very small zoo in those earlier days and with not a lot to see.

 

[Gigit]

I did a project on orang behaviour at Basel Zoo when I was at school, so spent a lot of time sitting there watching them. One day I went down to the glass just before I went, because one of the females, Sexta, used to sit by the glass a lot. I walked up to her and looked at her - and then she put her hand flat against the glass, and I put mine on the other side, and she looked straight at me - that gave me goosebumps. From then on, I used to go say goodbye to her every time just before I left - sometimes I put up my hand first, sometimes she put hers up - it always gave me shivers, even after many times, because she looked at me so directly]

This reminds me of a quote I've kept (I'm afraid I've forgotten the source):
"Many primatologists have experienced a profound change in their attitude to anthropoid apes after making eye contact with one for the first time. The spark across the species barrier is never forgotten. Behind the ape's eyes, one can feel a powerful personality that resembles our own, both emotionally and mentally."
I feel that those of us who have experienced this are very privileged.

I'll never forget the day I first walked into Durrell (or Jersey Zoo) - I was so happy just to be there, having read so much about it and wanting to go for so long.

Same here. It was third time lucky for me, bad weather having stopped the ferry running on the two previous attempts. I was beginning to think I'd never get there.

 

[Pertinax]

I've flown to Jersey two or three times. But on one occassion the whole island was covered in Fog and we thought the plane was going to have to turn back. After circling around the pilot managed to find his way in. It was a bit scary. Twenty minutes later I was in the zoo...

 

[Talli]

Well, it was more than just one memorable moment, but my trip to Jersey is very special to me. In 1976 I was backpacking Europe with a couple of friends and we were constantly on the look out for books in English. I bought "A Zoo in My Luggage" and read it as we traveled. If you've read the book you know it ends with Durrell making a home for the animals he had collected in Jersey. So, I rerouted the final leg of my trip so that I could see the zoo, which I loved.
(This is bringing back memories of getting there, which involved a flight from Madrid to Paris, barely making the train in Paris, just missing the last ferry of the day out of St. Malo, and being thrown out of my hotel there)