Paignton Zoo orangutan bulu

Munster Zoo in Germany.

Newquay is a very small zoo and the run of three monkey cages(unless they have changed in the last few years) are adequate but not very large. I'm not quite sure why they have bothered to aquire this species- I think I'd actually prefer to have seen them go to the Paignton(Newquay's parent zoo) Monkey exhibit (despite their failings as discussed) which have a lot more space...
 
Very much so!! born London Zoo 12.3.61.
Do they give her a 'cake'...?

I still have the little photo of her parents in front of me - will post it when I can (need a different computer...)

Is Damisi still there? :(
 
No cake, but she had some yogurty cereal bars! She's looking quite healthy and lively at the moment though Gambira is bigger than her now. I'd love to see the photo :)
Damisi is still here :confused:
 
Gigit,

What is the score with Damisi. Pertinax mentioned he was being crate-trained. So, obviously not long before a planned move to ... Do you have any ideas?
 
I was the one who saw Damisi being crate trained. It's Pertinax who knows what's going on!
 
Bulu- I believe she may now be the only(past)inhabitant of London's old Monkey House building who is still alive. However there were a number of other Orangutans living in there(imported as babies) and a couple were later exported again so I'm not 100% sure. I really hope 'Bulu' can make it to fifty (at least).

Damisi -all I can say at present is there is a 'delay' in his move to Chessington. Watch this space....;)
 
Gigit- what's the score with the two new orangutans. Are they being kept all together now or what?
 
The new orangutans are still in quarantine (2 months left) and I've only glimpsed them in the 'bedrooms' attached to the show den. I don't think they've ever been on show. A long wait :(
 
What are these new orangs? Didn't know about these, although I did see them in the off show den.
 
Pertinax said:
Bulu- I believe she may now be the only(past)inhabitant of London's old Monkey House building who is still alive. However there were a number of other Orangutans living in there(imported as babies) and a couple were later exported again so I'm not 100% sure. I really hope 'Bulu' can make it to fifty (at least).
Click to expand...

She's well cared for so fingers crossed. It's a shame they don't make more of her special status though. As her unofficial advocate, I sometimes enlighten visitors about her age and life story and they are usually amazed.
 
Gigit said:
It's a shame they don't make more of her special status though. As her unofficial advocate, I sometimes enlighten visitors about her age and life story and they are usually amazed.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is. However, I know she is often hidden under woodwool for quite long periods these days, so maybe drawing attention to her would make people disappointed if they then couldn't see her.

I first remember Bulu after she was removed from her mother and living with the little Sumatran male 'Gambar.' I also remember, much later, being face to face with her through the open door of her cage down in the service passage of the old Monkey House at London ( I was a guest, not one of her keepers..) She was already full grown and somewhat untrustworthy by then. Her companions were male Gambar(Sumatran) who later went to Jersey, and female Twiggy(Bornean) who ended up at Twycross. I don't remember her mother Toli, but father Charlie was still alive for some time after and I can remember him- they could go in with him even when he was a fully adult male!
 
Fascinating! I first became aware of her through "The Ark" TV series and was delighted to find her at Paignton. She (and the zoo) was partly the reason for our later move to the area! Obsessed or what! While she does spend time under wood wool, she very often piles it up by the viewing window so that she can keep an eye on all the comings and goings.
 
She has a very distinctive face. Maybe its just because I've known her so long, but if you gave me a whole selection of photos of uncaptioned Zoo Orangutan faces I'm sure I could pick out any which were of her. The main ways she's changed over the years is loss of hair (though she was always rather thin coated due to living on concrete surfaces all her life) and that fatty hump on her head which only developed in later life. (She is definately not obese like 'Senja' who could hardly move...)
 
Bulu's memory...

Like all Orangutans, Bulu has a terrific memory
( needed by the wild species to remember when and where the best fruiting trees are in the Forest...)

I used to visit ZSL regularly throughout Bulu's life there and she definately 'knew' me,(and no doubt a number of other people too). When I approached she would stop whatever she was doing and come over to the wire and adopt a particular pose, one hand and one foot gripping the wire while staring fixidly at me for as long as I stayed at the cage talking to her. Sometimes several years elapsed between visits but she didn't forget me and always did the same thing.

There had been an even longer interval when I first saw them at Paignton in the old Mammal House cage- Bulu didn't come over then but I sensed a flicker of recognition in her face as she watched me rather carefully as if she was thinking about what she saw.. Since then I've seen her several times in the Ape House but she no longer shows sign of remembering me nowadays...:(
 
You must have somehow read my mind because I was going to ask if she remembered you! She obviously knows who I am and always looks towards my bag as I take 'interesting things' to show her. She is, however, happy just to gaze at Mr Gigit while he talks to her. I got to know Gigit at Twycross during infrequent visits and was very pleased when she recognised me after her move to Paignton.
Regarding her appearance, Bulu also has a very distinctive hairstyle!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top