ZSL London Zoo Gorillas at London Zoo

Jelle, I think everyone acknowledged that the interp around the exhibit was top-class, just some people (me included) felt let down by the actual habitat that was on-show. However, now that has changed, the exhibit has become even better! :)
 
All major zoos nowadays should provide comprehensive interpretation along with new exhibits- ZSL have done this extremely well with all their recent exhibits. For me that's a different issue to how well an actual enclosure is designed for the animals, though of course the two are related.

A year ago I would never have thought I could be enthusiastic about 'Gorilla Kingdom.' Just add some hotwired fast-growing shade trees(I'm sure they will in time though the Colobus might be a problem here;)) and it would be even better (apart from the horrible fake tree of course).
 
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Speaking as one who was rather disappointed by my first viewing of Gorilla Kingdom last year, I shall try to open my mind before I visit again this summer :)

But I don't think I'll ever like those ugly spiky hotwires round the moat :(

Alan
 
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MARK said:
Maybe they could remove THAT fake tree, what is its purpose?
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The tree is for the Colobus monkeys to access the enclosure though I'm not sure how. They travel from their cage via a wire mesh tunnel over the public walkway, and then presumably down through(?) the 'hollow' tree. I'm not sure quite how it works as they aren't out in the exhibit yet. A simple pole and platform device might have worked just as well though, as they are very agile.

The cage the Colobus are in is the same one the Giant Pandas (ching ching & Chia) used to live in, I believe.
 
johnstoni said:
I thought that the gibbons were in the old panda enclosure?
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The Pandas were definately originally in the enclosure that faces the Entrance to the Zoo, where the Colobus are now.. I think the gibbons may have used the same enclosure after the Pandas had gone- and before the Gorilla Kingdom/ Colobus era. The Gibbons are now in the one near the clock tower.
 
Pertinax said:
Here's a list of the male Gorillas which have lived at London Zoo since the death of the famous 'Guy'.

1. Kumba. born at Jersey. Lived as a juvenile at London with their homebred female 'Salome'- then sent to Chessington Zoo in exchange for their male- (he fathered two females at Chessingon but then sadly died while under anaesthetic for dental work)

2. Kumba(same name as 1.) Wild caught. Sent from Chessington in exhange to form a breeding group with two females 'Salome' and 'Zaire'. Bred with both females once only. 10 years later returned to chessington(still alive and fathered five more offspring there)

3. Jeremiah. from Bristol Zoo (born there but handreared). a non-breeding male. later sent to Belfast and died there.

4. Jomie. born at Howletts but ZSL's property as they owned his mother 'Lomie'. Obtained to replace the previous non-breeding male. Jomie was potentially a good male(mother-raised) but died before he could breed- from Hepatitis, presumably obtained at Port Lympne fro a Colobus monkey he killed.

5. Jock. replaced Jomie. Born in La Palmyre.France. Rather aggressive and would only live with one of the 3 females(Zaire) then at London. Exchanged with the male from Bristol. Now successful breeding male at Bristol Zoo.

6. Bongo(Bobby)- the current male. From Rome Zoo via Bristol. exchanged for the previous male 'Jock'. A small and rather gentle male. Has non-existent breeding record!
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My apologies for bumping an old (but interesting!) thread (even if its title makes me wince....).

Pertinax: would you have more precise dates for Jeremiah and Jomie's tenures at London Zoo? I think they arrive din 1995 and 1998, respectively.

On a side note, given the pessimism expressed by many, it is pleasing to see that the London grow really has settled down very well now, and started producing youngsters fairly regularly. As someone who s very quick to criticise London Zoo it is good to appreciate that they can get things right... There's hope for the future of the Lion Exhibit....
 
sooty mangabey said:
Pertinax: would you have more precise dates for Jeremiah and Jomie's tenures at London Zoo? I think they arrive din 1995 and 1998, respectively.
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From the International Studbook;

Jeremiah arrived at London on 12.9.1995. (he came with female Diana- they were Bristol's last two Gorillas in the old house before it was converted for nocturnals.) He was moved to Belfast on 29.9.1998. Died there 27.8.2000.

Jomie arrived at London to replace him on 6.10.1998. He died 21.1.2001.
 
Thank you, Pertinax.

Is the International Studbook available online? I have attempted to find it, but to no avail.

I have been attempting to put together list of all of ZSL's Western lowland gorillas; thus far I have the following:

  1. 1887 (0.1, unnamed, “purchased 10 Oct 1887, from Mr Cross*)
  2. 1896 (0.1, “Jenny”, from the Congo, arrived March, died August)
  3. 1904 (0.1, “Venus”, from the wild, arrived August 19th, lived for 10 days)
  4. 1904 (0.1, “Chloe”, from Gabon, arrived August 19th, died September 15th)
  5. 1905 (0.1, “Miss Crowther”, from the wild, arrived August 19th, left September 10th)
  6. 1906 (0.1, “Martha”, from the wild, arrived March, died May)
  7. 1908 (1.0, unnamed, from the wild, arrived March 18th, died March 25th)
  8. 1927 (0.0.2, unnamed, from the wild, arrived November 18th, both died November 25th)
  9. 1932 (1.1, “Mok”, from French Cameroon, died 1938),
  10. 1932 (1.1, “Moina”, from French Cameroon, died 1939)
  11. 1939 (1.0, “Moko”, from Cameroon, died 1940)
  12. 1947 (1.0, “Guy”, from French Cameroon, died 1978)
  13. 1958 (1.0, unnamed, from the wild, 1958, date of death unknown)
  14. 1969 (0.1, “Lomie”, from Chessington Zoo, returned 1990)
  15. 1976 (0.1, “Salome”, born in RP, left 1977, to Jersey, returned 1978-1995, left to Bristol Zoo)
  16. 1978 (1.0, “Kumba”, from Jersey Zoo, left 1984, to Chessington Zoo)
  17. 1978 (1.0, “Saul”, born in RP, left 1983 to Singapore Zoo)
  18. 1984 (0.1, “Zaire”, from Jersey Zoo)
  19. 1984 (1.0, “Kumba II”, from Chessington, Zoo, returned 1995)
  20. 1987 (0.1, “Kamili”, born in RP, left 1993, to Belfast Zoo)
  21. 1988 (0.1, “Asali”, born in RP, left 1993, to Bristol Zoo)
  22. 1995 (1.0, “Jeremiah”, from Bristol Zoo, left 1998, to Belfast Zoo)
  23. 1995 (0.1, “Diana”, from Bristol Zoo, died 2002))
  24. 1998 (1.0, “Jomie”, died 2001)
  25. 2000 (0.2, “Messy”, from Dvur Kralove Zoo, returned 2006)
  26. 2000 (0.1, “Minouche”, from Dvur Kralove Zoo, returned 2006)
  27. 2002 (1.0, “Jock”, from La Palmyre Zoo, left 2003, to Bristol Zoo)
  28. 2003 (1.0, Bobby, from Bristol Zoo, died 2008)
  29. 2007 (0.1, Effie, from Leipzig Zoo)
  30. 2008 (0.1, “Mjukuu”, from Chessington Zoo)
  31. 2009 (1.0, “Yeboah”, from Hannover Zoo, died 2010)
  32. 2010 (1.0, “Tiny”, born in RP, died 2011)
  33. 2010 (1.0, “Kesho”, from Dublin Zoo, left 2012, to Longleaf)
  34. 2013 ().1, “Kumbuka”, from Belfast Zoo)
  35. 2014 (0.1, “Alika”, born in RP)
  36. 2015 (1.0, “Gernot”, born in RP)

Are there any obvious absentees you can spot here? Thank you, in advance....
 
sooty mangabey said:
Is the International Studbook available online? I have attempted to find it, but to no avail.
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there's an "unofficial" studbook here (i.e. a website by an enthusiast, but seemingly created from the real studbook): Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book

You can search by the individual gorillas by either name or studbook number - both will be very time-consuming unlike an actual studbook where you can just scroll down the page. But it has current as well as historic gorillas (e.g. Mok is studbook #1764 and Moina is #1765). Probably searching by number would be easiest.

Actually, looking again, there is also listings by country so you can get a direct London Zoo list. Easy.

ZAIRE - 0557
EFFIE - 1287
KUMBUKA - 1447
MJUKUU - 1531
ALIKA - 2183
GERNOT - 2239
GUY - 0005*
KUMBA - 0613*
DIANA - 0623*
Aborted - 1027*
Stillbirth - 1028*
ASALI - 1075*
YEBOAH (Kukuma) - 1429*
Unnamed - 1637*
Unnamed - 1755*
VENUS - 1756*
JENNY - 1757*
CHLOE - 1758*
MISS CROWTHER - 1759*
MARTHA - 1760*
Unnamed - 1761*
Unnamed - 1762*
Unnamed - 1763*
MOK - 1764*
MOINA MOASSI - 1765*
MOKO - 1766*
TINY - 2051*
RUNDI - 9929*
TANGA - 9930*
REUBEN - 9931*
MENG - 9932*
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Chlidonias said:
there's an "unofficial" studbook here (i.e. a website by an enthusiast, but seemingly created from the real studbook): Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book
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GorillasGalore is good but not always totally accurate. E.g. some animals are missing from various zoos.


International SB (for 2011 anyway) is online. Typing in; International Gorilla Studbook Frankfurt should produce it. The historic lists are at the end which means scrolling down 80 pages to reach them.
 
Are there any obvious absentees you can spot here? Thank you, in advance....
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Its a long list isn't it? Can't see any ommissions for Western Lowlands.

See above for the International Studbook.
 
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Pertinax said:
Its a long list isn't it?:( I am not too well up on the pre-Guy animals, but it looks like Meng, Reuben, Rudi and Tanga are missing.
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Sooty Mangabey's list referred only to Western Lowland Gorillas, which would explain the absence of Reuben & possibly (?) some of the others.
 
pipaluk said:
Sooty Mangabey's list referred only to Western Lowland Gorillas, which would explain the absence of Reuben & possibly (?) some of the others.
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I overlooked that.:o The four I listed were all Easterns. Have doctored my response herewith.
 
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