Mixed gorilla habitats

[Pertinax]

I read somewhere very recently that London Zoo housed the eastern lowland gorilla "Meng" with the chimpanzee "Jacqueline" back in 1938. Not sure where I might have read that.... perhaps Tim May might know

Quite a lot of the single wild-caught baby Gorillas that found their way into Zoos in the early days, were given a young Chimpanzee as a companion to combat depression/loneliness. And even a few decades ago hand-raised baby Gorillas born in zoos were frequently raised with young Orangutans and Chimps if these were available in lieu of other young Gorillas. It was regarded, probably rightly, as being better than no Ape companionship at all. Zoos that did this include Twycross, Bristol, La Palmyre to name just a few.

Nowadays there is a move away from handrearing/ lack of proper socialisation with other Gorillas from as early as possible, in nearly all cases.

Of course this isn't the same as mixed exhibits using Gorillas and other species.

 

[Joker1706]

Duisburg - Lowland Gorilla + de Brazza´s monkey
Münster - Lowland Gorilla + Collared mangabey

 

[gentle lemur]

Little Rock Zoo had a group of wild, native rabbits take up residency in the gorilla enclosures. They bred, multiplied, and thrived well on the gorilla leftovers.

I've seen rabbits in the bachelor paddocks at Port Lympne too.

Alan

 

[Pertinax]

I've seen rabbits in the bachelor paddocks at Port Lympne too.

Alan

That's about all I have seen in those paddocks most of the time.

Another mixing- Chessington; Gorilla + grey squirrel.

 

[zooman]

I've seen rabbits in the bachelor paddocks at Port Lympne too.

Alan

Don't want to go off topic but...

I was so surprised to see rabbits mixed with lions at SWAP!

 

[devilfish]

As of last week, Bioparc Fuengirola had their gorillas mixed with a pair of Roloway monkeys, a pair of Cape shelduck, and the moat was brimming with fish.

Previously they'd been mixed with Southern ground hornbills, De Brazza's monkeys and fewer fish in the moat.

http://www.zoochat.com/2/gorillas-can-coexist-114417/

 

[Philipine eagle]

Antwerp once kept owl-faced guenon with their eastern lowland gorilla group. At least one guenon was killed by the female Amahora, who lived as a young gorilla together with chimps. She probably learned hunting other animals from the chimps.

 

[Vision]

@Philipine eagle, I keep seeing that story pop up, but have never actually read any article or evidence supporting this. Do you know where you got that from? As I would be extremely interested in knowing more about Amahoro's history with other primate species.

 

[migdog]

At Madrid Zoo last week I saw a pair of Southern Ground Hornbills in the outdoor section of the Gorilla enclosure. The Gorillas were locked inside their indoor section though.

 

[SealPup]

Interesting there are two cases of gorillas in European zoos hunting and eating monkeys. Gorilla faeces were fairly recently found to contain monkey remains in the wild but I assumed it was scavenged from bushmeat snares.

 

[Pertinax]

Antwerp once kept owl-faced guenon with their eastern lowland gorilla group. At least one guenon was killed by the female Amahora, who lived as a young gorilla together with chimps. She probably learned hunting other animals from the chimps.

I think Gorillas in captivity will kill monkeys without having to have learned the behaviour from Chimps- I rather doubt Amohoro, if she was kept with chimpanzees, presumably in captivity, ever had the chance to see them hunting as that is wild behaviour.

IMO the loss of at least one valuable Owl-faced Monkey in this case demonstrates the folly of these type of mixings, all too often they end up with that sort of result.

 

[CindelP]

In LisbonZoo gorillas are kept with black and white colobus monkey since the opening of their new exibition (which was in 2005 ?). They have separate indoor enclosures (small gate for the colobus) and they seen to be doing great.

 

[elefante]

In Omaha several years ago they had black and white colobus monkeys housed in the indoor enclosure. I haven't been there in five years so I'm not sure if that's still the case.

 

[GraysonDP]

I know Houston zoo mixes Gorillas and red river hogs.

No they don't share the same space although they appear to. I don't think the apes have access to the part of the habitat where the red river hogs are.

 

[Thatzookeeperguy]

The

No they don't share the same space although they appear to. I don't think the apes have access to the part of the habitat where the red river hogs are.

Spoke to keeper who works there a year or so ago and the gorilla can go to where the hogs are but the hogs cant get up to the gorilla. The gorilla arent comfortable being in that area apparently the hogs can be quite 'pushy'.