Master thesis ape exhibits

Q

Quoll

Member
Hi everyone, as I mentioned in the new member thread I am currently writing my master thesis about modern ape exhibits. I know a lot of exhibits from Europe and can also use Anthony Sheridans books for inspirations but I don't really have an overview over the ape situation outside of my continent.

So it would be great if you could name a few ape exhibits which were opened in the 21st century in the USA, Canada or another part of the world which you consider interesting. I was thinking about Indianapolis' International Orangutan Center and Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest (even though it was already opened in 1999) but I need some more inspiration. Thanks for your help!
 
Look at Jacksonville Zoo (Florida, USA) new exhibit especially how gorillas can shift in and out of their main yard. This is the trend in North America.
 
Quoll said:
Hi everyone, as I mentioned in the new member thread I am currently writing my master thesis about modern ape exhibits. I know a lot of exhibits from Europe and can also use Anthony Sheridans books for inspirations but I don't really have an overview over the ape situation outside of my continent.

So it would be great if you could name a few ape exhibits which were opened in the 21st century in the USA, Canada or another part of the world which you consider interesting. I was thinking about Indianapolis' International Orangutan Center and Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest (even though it was already opened in 1999) but I need some more inspiration. Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Houston Zoo African Forest.
 
I have some potential options but keep in mind that we might all be of more help if we had some idea of what about modern ape exhibits you are studying; otherwise we are all just shooting in the dark on what it is you're looking for.
  • Los Angeles Zoo has a Chimpanzee exhibit that includes an outdoor open-topped enclosure, a caged enclosure at a higher elevation, and off-display indoor quarters.
  • Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has an exhibit complex for Gorilla and Chimpanzee that has an interesting indoor design with bamboo climbing lattices, slanted viewing windows, and an unusual substrate; in my experience the apes are almost always indoors despite having access to decent outdoor enclosures, so that might be interesting for study.
  • Zoo Atlanta has a large number of both Orangutans and Gorillas; I'm not familiar with their exhibit complex, but I'm sure there's lessons to be had in accommodating so many animals.
  • Kansas City Zoo has a 3-acre Chimpanzee enclosure that is mostly woods.
  • Buffalo Zoo, Franklin Park in Boston, and Brookfield in Chicago all keep Gorillas indoors year-round; Brookfield, Racine Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Birmingham Zoo, Toronto Zoo, and Pittsburgh Zoo keep Orangutans indoors year-round. The Bonobos at Milwaukee County only have outdoor access through a caged "run". Any of those might offer an interesting comparison with those that have dedicated outdoor enclosures.
 
There should be loads of photos in the ZooChat gallery of these recently built North American great ape exhibits:

2004 – Lincoln Park Zoo: Center for African Apes - $26 million
2004 – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo: Hubbard Gorilla Valley - $14 million
2005 – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo: Orangutan Forest - $12 million
2007 – Los Angeles Zoo: Campo Gorilla Reserve - $19 million
2008 – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Jungala - $25 million?
2013 – Como Park Zoo: Gorilla Forest - $11 million
2014 – Indianapolis Zoo: International Orangutan Center - $26 million
2015 – Houston Zoo: Gorillas of the African Forest - $28 million
2017 – Cincinnati Zoo: Gorilla World renovation - $12 million
 
As for the other areas of the world, Apenheul in the Netherlands and la Vallee des Singes in France are two collections that are probably the best for apes in Europe, though I expect you'll have heard of them.

Lots of other brilliant ape exhibits, so if you want I can provide a list of some of the standout ones :).
 
amur leopard said:
As for the other areas of the world, Apenheul in the Netherlands and la Vallee des Singes in France are two collections that are probably the best for apes in Europe, though I expect you'll have heard of them.

Lots of other brilliant ape exhibits, so if you want I can provide a list of some of the standout ones :).
Click to expand...

Leipzig scores very high as well.
 
I’d say the most interesting I’ve seen is pairi daiza. Very over the top, themed exhibits. The gorilla’s indoor exhibit is a fake volcano and the orangutan’s indoors are in a temple with marble walls!
 
Thank you, everyone!

A little more information about my study: I want to find out, what the underlying intentions are when building ape exhibits, how these intentions are shown in the built enclosures and how visitors perceive these spaces. I therefore work in three consecutive steps with different methodological approaches:
1. To conduct interviews with zoo professionals about what are the desired effects of the apes and the enclosure on the visitors.
2. To check how these intentions are demonstrated within the built enclosures by looking at them in real life or (because of Covid-19) on pictures - in this step, Zoochat is of great value for me!
3. To conduct a visitor survey at chosen zoos to check the images the visitors get by looking at the enclosures and their inhabitants.
 
Quoll said:
Thank you, everyone!

A little more information about my study: I want to find out, what the underlying intentions are when building ape exhibits, how these intentions are shown in the built enclosures and how visitors perceive these spaces. I therefore work in three consecutive steps with different methodological approaches:
1. To conduct interviews with zoo professionals about what are the desired effects of the apes and the enclosure on the visitors.
2. To check how these intentions are demonstrated within the built enclosures by looking at them in real life or (because of Covid-19) on pictures - in this step, Zoochat is of great value for me!
3. To conduct a visitor survey at chosen zoos to check the images the visitors get by looking at the enclosures and their inhabitants.
Click to expand...
It is not common but some zoos do visitor evaluation studies after an exhibit opens to determine what the visitors' experience is, what they have learned, and whether the zoo's goals are being met. You could ask for those when you contact zoos.
I think that you may find different zoo professionals have different goals for the same exhibit. That should make your work interesting ;)
 
Could someone please tell me, when the chimp exhibit at Kansas City Zoo and the gorilla and orangutan exhibits at Toronto Zoo were opened? I didn't find any information on this on the internet.

Also, I would be thankful if you have more suggestions for ape exhibits from the 21st century, especially in America! :)
 
Saint Louis Zoo has an indoor (wintertime) exhibit called Jungle of the Apes opened in 1986, and an outdoor (spring/summertime) one called Fragile Forest opened in 2005 for their three ape species: western lowland gorilla, common chimpanzee, and Sumatran orangutan. They have access to both sides of their habitats when it is nice outside, but when the weather turns cold they keep them indoors.
 
Some background on Los Angeles Zoos Chimpanzee exhibit
  • the exhibit is named after the Mahale Mountains National Park
  • Jane Goodall approved of the exhibit
  • the Mahale Mountains are located near Gombe National Park where Jane studied Chimps
  • The exhibit includes a normal mountainside exhibit but also a large "penthouse" in the back where the chimps are free to climb and jump around
 
Worth looking at Sumatran Orangutan complex at Jersey, (English) Channel Islands, also Apenheul used to (may still have) an arrangement where rival male gorillas could threaten each other from hill tops across a moat when they were so inclined, but otherwise keep out of sight.
 
FBBird said:
Worth looking at Sumatran Orangutan complex at Jersey, (English) Channel Islands, also Apenheul used to (may still have) an arrangement where rival male gorillas could threaten each other from hill tops across a moat when they were so inclined, but otherwise keep out of sight.
Click to expand...

Apenhuel's 2nd gorilla group is long gone- they were sent to Australia decades ago now. Bonobos occupy the second island nowadays.
 
The idea of the the two gorilla groups in Apenheul was nice (indeed, it no longer exists), although it would have bene much better if the groups had not shared the same building. They still have one of the best enclosures for orang utans, with much flexibility.
Zoos design enclosures with different ideas. For instance, in La Vallée des Singes and Apenheul welfare of the animals is most important, and the enclosures are built for the animals. In Pairi Daiza, which is a theme park with animals as decoration, the enclosures are build for the visitors, and only with much pressure from the EEPs the enclosures are more or less suitable for the animals.
Stuttgart build a new and very expensive enclosure for the apes, I think that it is rather good for the animals (especially the bonobo enclosure). They have a very good staff with much knowledge on apes, high welfare ethics, and with the huge budget (25.000.000) they managed to build a building that is good for animals and visitors, and rather well for keepers.
Leipzig built for research: for welfare the inside enclosure is not very good, only one space for each species, not very large and no visual barriers for the animals (to get out of sight of each other or of the visitors).
It all depends also on the type of zoo. Apenheul and La Vallée des Singes are closed for visitors in winter, so they do not have to focus as much on visitor experience in the inside enclosures. City zoos, like Stuttgart and Frankfurt, have many visitors in winter, and it is nice to observe then in a warm environment the animals.

In the USA I have only seen the enclosures in Chicago and the Bronx, not very good for the animals. When I was in the Bronx, it was 15 degrees, and the animals were shut in. According to the keepers, the "animals stay inside between the 1st of November and the 1st of April, to avoid daily discussions if it is warm enough to let the animals outside".
 
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