Port Lympne Wild Animal Park American review of Port Lympne

[sooty mangabey]

Off-topic, but I just can´t help myself: I thought that I was the only forumster that was into Siouxie & The Banshees.... not my favorite band but I LOVE their debut single "Hong Kong Garden", their cover of the Beatles´"Helter Skelter" as well as their absolut masterpiece, "Metal Postcard". Oh... and "Israel" is another favorite track...

It is off this topic, but not wholly off the zoo topic - in my youth, when I hated anyone who ever made a comment that was even vaguely anti-zoo - I found myself liking Siouxsie and the Banshees after reading that Siouxsie and Budgie from said combo had sponsored a peccary at London Zoo. The peccary was, apparently, called Gregory (Gregory Peccary that would be). Such information was enough to forgive them for their over-liberal use of black eye-liner and, occasionally, rather gloomy music.

 

[Shorts]

Others prefer Celine Dion.

Yes, the deaf, the insane and people who don't really like music.

Sorry, completely "off-thread" I know, but I have a Tourette's like negative reaction at the mention of her name -now to put some lotion on these hives.

Right, back to the thread......

 

[Dan]

It is off this topic, but not wholly off the zoo topic - in my youth, when I hated anyone who ever made a comment that was even vaguely anti-zoo - I found myself liking Siouxsie and the Banshees after reading that Siouxsie and Budgie from said combo had sponsored a peccary at London Zoo. The peccary was, apparently, called Gregory (Gregory Peccary that would be). Such information was enough to forgive them for their over-liberal use of black eye-liner and, occasionally, rather gloomy music.

Gloomy yes, but often also powerful and beautiful!

Just one more note on music, and just because Jose happened to mention David Bowie. You are aware, Jose, of the fact that this wonderful artist´s crowning moment - his mid 1970s "Thin White Duke"-tour - is available to anyone interested on the magnificent site of Free Streaming Live Music, Vintage Tees, retro t-shirts, concert posters, live concert, vintage rock tshirts, concert vault, Posters, rock photos and more ? It is one of the concerts at Nassau Coliseum (somewhere in the New York area, I believe?) that has been immortalised on this unbelievably cool site - unbelievably cool to anyone interested in the late 1960- to the 1970s rock music scene, that is.

Sorry again - no more interruptions to this thread, I promise...

 

[Ituri]

Actually I think this thread has been made MORE productive by being off-topic...

 

[snowleopard]

@Yassa: you make an excellent point about critiquing other so-called naturalistic gorilla enclosures, and I've often ripped into the Pittsburgh Zoo's gorilla yard. It is an acre in size but with a steep moat and basically a large soccer field for grass. Also, the Philadelphia Zoo has a horrible gorilla enclosure that would be much better suited for hoofstock. There are some dreadful attempts at "realistic environment", but many fail and I am definitely not afraid to bash them on this forum.

As far as music goes, my 40+ Neil Young CD's are surpassed by my 45+ Rolling Stones albums. World's greatest rock n' roll band of all time. Just like the Aspinall gorilla cages are the last of a dying breed, the Stones might never be topped in longevity. No one builds steel cages for great apes anymore, and no one can rock like the Rolling Stones.

 

[Jose]

Off-topic, but I just can´t help myself: I thought that I was the only forumster that was into Siouxie & The Banshees.... not my favorite band but I LOVE their debut single "Hong Kong Garden", their cover of the Beatles´"Helter Skelter" as well as their absolut masterpiece, "Metal Postcard". Oh... and "Israel" is another favorite track...

Neil Young is a favorite of mine and I would put "Like a Hurricane" in my list of "Top Ten Songs".

Sorry for the interruption - now go on with this highly interesting debate. I appreciate it a lot. Just don´t get angry at each other, guys. Keep it pleasant!

Hello Dan my friend , one of the first who commented on my post about the terrible zoo i encountered in the north of my country, how are you? Im very much into Siouxsie and the Banshees and id even go so far to consider them as my favourite band,my favourite songs are "fireworks","swimming horses" and "Hong kong garden" and "happy house". Wow! siouxsie sioux when i was younger i entertained such infantile thoughts meeting such a beautiful godess with such ruthless intelligence and those wonderful bird of prey eyes. they were never really interested in becoming part of the music industry and for their non conformerism they will always have my deep respect and hold a very special place in my heart. I am like you friend an anglophile in some respects and i have always considered past British rock music to be superior to many other bands from other parts of the world who only blindly immitate such genius. I also indeed like David Bowie and his music my favourite of song of his is "Heroes" and i will always be a lifelong fan of his also, and i will be sure to check out that website you send me friend. Wow such nostalgia for the 70s and 80s music friends , maybe im just getting sentimental in my middle age but music just doesnt seem the same anymore. Back in 1980 i remember listening to such wonderful music in Managua and Granada, Nicaragua it was after the revolution ,me and some fellow students from the UNAM national university had gone on a solidarity and good will mission in support of the new sadinistas ,that was before Ortega curropted it all though , how wonderful was the music back then , and how its changed ,how world has changed eh? , so much nostalgia no?

sorry friends for the long message and unnecessary mini biography not related to zoological garden whatsoever hehehe

 

[johnstoni]

I actually think the palace of the apes' worst feature is the row of glass windows along the cage front. Gorillas frequently charge at visitors and bang the windows. The gorillas in all of the other cages at Howletts and Port Lympne hardly ever behave in this manner.

People aren't stupid, they don't need to be tricked by immersion exhibits to see when the behaviour of an animal indicates its needs are being met well. Visitors might want to see the theatrical illusion of wild habitats that appear to have no barriers and immerse them in some magical wilderness, but the Aspinall parks have never been about that, and have always made that clear. However, their African Safari is about as good as a captive African grassland species reserve gets and there are no teams of gardeners sneaking into the exhibit at night to prune trees so that they resemble acacias.

Yes the old monkey cages don't look very nice to visitors. But they are set back from the visitor barriers, mostly situated in forest or among several trees, are high and densely furnished to the tops of the cages, and the primates breed well in them. Sure, they're not anything like the de brazza and colobus exhibit, but if we're going to criticise UK monkey housing, there's plenty more that are worse than these in terms of quality.

 

[Pertinax]

I actually think the palace of the apes' worst feature is the row of glass windows along the cage front. Gorillas frequently charge at visitors and bang the windows. The gorillas in all of the other cages at Howletts and Port Lympne hardly ever behave in this manner.
.

Yes the old monkey cages don't look very nice to visitors. But they are set back from the visitor barriers, mostly situated in forest or among several trees, are high and densely furnished to the tops of the cages, and the primates breed well in them.

1. I think part of the problem is that Djala, the silverback in 'Palace of the Apes', doesn't like people, especially children, due to his traumatised background as a baby in Africa. Its unfortunate he happens to be the male with the closest access to people via those glass windows. Some of their other males might not react in this way, or not as much.

2. Although the old Monkey cages are archaic, they are, as you say, still quite effective. The Drills for example; I noticed how after a year the (quite old)adult male was much fitter than when they first arrived from Stuttgart(probably from a much smaller cage) and was nimbly scurrying along the timbers at the top of the enclosure. I do wish though they would extend their area by giving them an extensive piece of woodland as per the Colobus/de Brazza enclosure-even if the Drill's existing cage was still used as their 'base.'

 

[Arizona Docent]

Note to self - If you don't want to spend all day on the internet reading a long stream of posts, do NOT do any more British zoo reviews!

@ASH - I was talking about aesthetics, not welfare.

@JOSE - I did NOT bash the Aspinall parks before my visit, only the Palace Of The Apes.

@ITURI - Yes, definitely some indian desert cat photos coming. I am just about to finish sorting the last 7 rolls of the 25 rolls of slides I shot, then I will scan the best and post lots of pics. I really lucked out, because a keeper came while I was there and tied a small bone (I think) to the cage ceiling right in the middle above a natural log that the cat stood on several times. I shot over two rolls just of that cat!