free roaming gibbon?
- Thread starter gerome
- Start date
Apenheul has Hanuman grey langurs in a walkthrough habitat. I can't find much about Gibbons being more aggressive than Langurs. Additionally, Gibbons are almost completely arboreal, while Langurs are both arboreal and terrestrial. So Gibbons have an even lower chance of interacting with guests.
I think it would be a first, but I don't think it would be too much risk
I think it would be a first, but I don't think it would be too much risk
That exhibit with the Hanuman Grey Langurs at Apenheul is brilliant and I loved having the langurs crash around on the roof above the visitor boardwalk when I was there in 2019. I'm actually surprised that some European and Asian zoos don't have gibbon walk-throughs...surely it's been done before? I know that zero North American zoos would do it because everyone is too petrified of stupid lawsuits.
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
Delacour had gibbons free ranging at Cleres, but occasionally had to banish individuals to islands due to aggressive behavior. Frankly, having worked with three species of gibbons (most of which were decidedly unfriendly and gave me some of my earliest zoo-related injuries), I can't imagine having free-range gibbons, or having a walk-though gibbon exhibit.
Technically speaking, the white-cheeked gibbons at Bronx Zoo do have free reign over JungleWorld, primarily having access to the tapir riverbank, the intermediary jungle and even the gharial river. That being said, I've only seen the gibbons with the tapirs or the window jutting out from the Unseen Multitude gallery next to the Northern tree shrew exhibit. Plus, there's the gibbon islands at Denver Zoo's Toyota Elephant Passage (complete with ropes that go over guests' heads!) and the overhead meshed trails at Philadelphia Zoo and Zoo Knoxville but those don't really count.
I was going to bring up Denver as well. It is bot a free roam but as close as you can probably reasonqbly get without creating risk.
Lemurs, tamarins and squirrel monkeys are more appropriate for walk throughs and it sounds free roaking squirrel monkeys still run the risk of pocketing things if not supervised.
Lemurs, tamarins and squirrel monkeys are more appropriate for walk throughs and it sounds free roaking squirrel monkeys still run the risk of pocketing things if not supervised.
Several zoos keep orangutans and howler monkeys on high trees or poles over the visitor path, with electric wires on trunks prohibiting climbing down. Monkeys and apes, for some reason, always carefully climb down trees along the trunk and are afraid of jumping down from height.
I think gibbons might feel very well in such a 'walk under' exhibit on high trees protected by electric wire from coming down. They would have high tree crowns for themselves. I observed wild lar and pileated gibbon from below, and they did not bother with a person and anything else under a tree. I often look at groups of tall, old trees growing on grounds of many zoos and feel they would be a much better place for gibbons than aviaries or islands.
I think gibbons might feel very well in such a 'walk under' exhibit on high trees protected by electric wire from coming down. They would have high tree crowns for themselves. I observed wild lar and pileated gibbon from below, and they did not bother with a person and anything else under a tree. I often look at groups of tall, old trees growing on grounds of many zoos and feel they would be a much better place for gibbons than aviaries or islands.
gerome
Well-Known Member
can you explain more about your experience
NNM.
Well-Known Member
I’ve always wondered. Why do they come to that window? Is it really just to interact with guests?
Mainly so, yeah! The female gibbon loves looking out at the visitors in the gallery, as if *we're* the exhibit!
