Chester Zoo Gorillas at Chester

C

CZJimmy

Well-Known Member
When working on the keeper for a day on the primate section back in July, I noticed that there were several images of a large silverback gorilla. When i asked the keeper, he said that they used to keep them in what is now the tropical realm.

Can I ask any of you whether you remember this and if there is any images showing this?
 
There were indeed gorillas in the Realm - their indoor accommodation is now the two big hornbill aviaries; outdoor they had small islands where the Red River Hogs are now. The last time they were there was 1986 - I just barely remember them (I would have been about 2 and half when they went - this may be earliest memory). They had Western Lowland and Eastern Lowland - someone will be along in a minute who can tell you more! There are some photos in June Johns' 'Zoo without Bars'; I'm sure someone on here will have photos of their own!
 
Eastern Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla berengei graueri) were kept from 1960-1985. The male was Mukisi and the female Noelle, so named because she was captured at Christmas. Noelle died following treatment for an infection in 1975. Mukisi was sent on loan to Antwerp in 1985. In 1969 Noelle was believed to have been pregnant, but she wasn't. They lived in the area which is now the red river hog enclosure, and inside accommodation in the Tropical Realms was where the hornbill aviaires are.

Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were kept from 1964 to 1986.
Boko and Gogal were the first pair, Boko died in 1965 and was replaced by Jason. Originally they were kept on the chimpanzee islands, and later moved to the Orang Utan House, opened in 1968. Here the gorillas were housed on the island on the west side, across from the lemurs. Jo-Jo arrived on six months loan in 1977 from Belle Vue (en route to Bristol) and left in 1978. Gogal died the same year, leaving the zoo with 1.0 each of Western Lowland and Eastern Lowland Gorillas.

The zoo hopes to keep gorillas again in the future, and in the 1988 masterplan a gorilla enclosure was planned on the site of the former jackal and hyena enclosures (where the Maned Wolves used to be), but nothing ever came of this.
 
i think as has been said before here, get the giraffes over to the paddocks and use their house and paddock as an ideal site for a gorilla enclosure and perfectly sited with the enclosures for chimpanzee, red river hog, okapi and congo buffalo sited nearby an ideal african rainforest exhibit and they could add an aviary and maybe mix a rarer guenon with the gorilla or even colobus.
 
I have just posted scans of 2 photos of old Mukisi in the Gallery. I ought to scan the original slides again as I now have better scanner than the one I used for these.

Alan
 
Woudnt the giraffe pen a little bit too small (especially the indoor area) for the a troup of gorillas. I guess they could have the buffalo paddock aswell.
 
bongorob said:
Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were kept from 1964 to 1986.
Boko and Gogal were the first pair, Boko died in 1965 and was replaced by Jason. Originally they were kept on the chimpanzee islands, and later moved to the Orang Utan House, opened in 1968. Here the gorillas were housed on the island on the west side, across from the lemurs. Jo-Jo arrived on six months loan in 1977 from Belle Vue (en route to Bristol) and left in 1978. Gogal died the same year, leaving the zoo with 1.0 each of Western Lowland and Eastern Lowland Gorillas.
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I thought the first male was 'Turpin'... (I haven't heard the name 'Boko' before)

It was Jojo who died in 1978, he lived only six months at Chester and died there.(he didn't leave Chester) He wasn't enroute to Bristol, though they owned him...

Gogal lived a lot longer, and she was moved to Bristol...:)
 
ZooMania said:
Woudnt the giraffe pen a little bit too small (especially the indoor area) for the a troup of gorillas. I guess they could have the buffalo paddock aswell.
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I doubt they would use the existing building! plus there is plenty of room around there for an indoor enclosure and one possible two islands for a group of 5 to 6 animals
 
ZooMania said:
Woudnt the giraffe pen a little bit too small (especially the indoor area) for the a troup of gorillas. I guess they could have the buffalo paddock aswell.
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The Giraffe house- if remodelled for new residents-would make an excellent area for Gorillas. The indoors is high and roomy. Remember they don't need an enormous outdoor area as they just won't use it that much, (unless it was covered) so the existing paddock, landscaped similar to the Chimp Island with bamboo, bushes etc would probably be quite sufficient.

It would save a great deal on cost over a brand new purpose-built house too.
 
taun said:
I doubt they would use the existing building! plus there is plenty of room around there for an indoor enclosure and one possible two islands for a group of 5 to 6 animals
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They really could use the existing building if they wanted... Bristol redeveloped their old Elephant house for their Gorillas, the inside is a bit small but otherwise its really just as effective as a new building. I suppose Chester would want to start from scratch though...
 
Mukisi and Jason.

Mukisi- the male Eastern Lowland, and Jason, the Western Lowland male, were the last two Gorillas at Chester.

Latterly Mukisi lived in the(hornbill) enclosure nearest the entrance doors of the Tropic Realm. There is/was a keepers area adjacent to his indoor enclosure. I was in there once and they warned me to keep away from the feeding hatch in the wall as he would sneakily reach through to grab you if he could..

Jason, the lowland male stayed on at Chester for a while after his 'mate' Gogal was sent to Bristol to be mated by a proven breeding male. He lived then in the Orangutan house and occupied the enclosure and Island at the 'near' end. Later Jason was sent to Bristol too but unfortunately attempts to breed him with a different female there failed- Jason was very humanised and not much interested in female gorillas. Sadly he died at Bristol without ever having bred.

I can't remember which of them stayed at Chester the longest...
 
grantsmb said:
They really could use the existing building if they wanted... Bristol redeveloped their old Elephant house for their Gorillas, the inside is a bit small but otherwise its really just as effective as a new building. I suppose Chester would want to start from scratch though...
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Personally i would build a Gorilla house from scratch, where the maned wolves are if the zoo own the area behind that or is that where the zoo is building a new elephat paddock. Anyways the Bongo herd could be moved to the Giraffe paddock and maybe a second Red River Hog group.
 
bongorob said:
Mukisi left in 1985 and Jason in 1986.
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Thankyou.. Regarding Jojo's stay at Chester from late 1977. They may have put out the information that he was 'en route' for Bristol but I wouldn't believe that as Bristol didn't have any room for another male, nor did they need him.

What happened was Bristol bought the pair Jojo and Susie when Belle Vue was sold off- but they only really wanted Susie as another female in their group. So it was agreed in advance that Chester would take Jojo to try and breed with Gogal- as Jason wasn't interested. Jojo and Gogal were kept in the 'tropic realm' enclosure(the one nearer the chimps) while Jason was moved over to the Orangutan house. I have a couple of photos from a press agency of Gogal and Jojo together. It didn't work as they didn't seem to like each other either.. When I went to see them, Jojo was locked away offshow as he had a bad cold- a few weeeks later in March 1978 he was dead...
 
Pertinax said:
Mukisi- the male Eastern Lowland, and Jason, the Western Lowland male, were the last two Gorillas at Chester.

Latterly Mukisi lived in the(hornbill) enclosure nearest the entrance doors of the Tropic Realm. There is/was a keepers area adjacent to his indoor enclosure. I was in there once and they warned me to keep away from the feeding hatch in the wall as he would sneakily reach through to grab you if he could..

Jason, the lowland male stayed on at Chester for a while after his 'mate' Gogal was sent to Bristol to be mated by a proven breeding male. He lived then in the Orangutan house and occupied the enclosure and Island at the 'near' end. Later Jason was sent to Bristol too but unfortunately attempts to breed him with a different female there failed- Jason was very humanised and not much interested in female gorillas. Sadly he died at Bristol without ever having bred.

I can't remember which of them stayed at Chester the longest...
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I was the Vet at the Zoo from 1967 to 1997 and treated them both plus have videos of both Best wishes Derek Lyon
 
I photographed one of the males late on - there'd been a bit of a storm which had brought down loads of willow branches which he was enjoying as browse.

Happy days!
 
Does anybody think that now as the bio dome is delayed, for who knows how long, there is a possibility they could use the giraffe house as a new gorilla house, bringing in a keystone species with reduced costs? Just an idea for discussion.
 
It's interesting reading this discussion as quite a few of us have now been in the old gorilla quarters.
 
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