OrangutanEnthusiast
Member
I can't give this encounter enough praise and I wanted to share it with all you fellow ZooChatters! These forums have been an immense wealth of information for me, and I'm grateful to everyone who has shared their experiences. I would encourage anyone passionate about orangutans to consider this encounter, because it was truly a spectacular experience that I will never forget.
The encounter is approximately 30 minutes, and costs $200 per person. It's currently only offered on Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:30PM. There are four tickets available for each encounter. The encounter begins with a Tour Guide meeting you at the Visitor Information Center. They walk with you over to the orangutan enclosure, where I met the Assistant Curator of Primates at the Zoo. The Curator provides a brief summary of the rules in the staff-only area. The most important rule was to never cross the yellow line painted on the floor. After maybe five minutes, you're taken into the behind-the-scenes area of the orangutan enclosure. It's a relatively small space, and it's great they limit it to four participants at a time. Gates and fences surround you, and the orangutans are free to roam on three sides of where you are.
I can't express how superb the Curator was. She was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and excited to answer all the questions that I had. She provided some general background information about orangutan behavior, their diet, and personal and lineage details about the six orangutans living at the zoo. The Tour Guide was also exemplary. She was very approachable and friendly, and took many fantastic photos of me on my phone throughout the encounter. The zoo was also kind enough to call me a few hours before the encounter to say that one of the orangutans wasn't feeling well that day, and offered to reschedule or refund me. I was leaving town that day so I couldn't reschedule, and I'm so glad I didn't cancel!
The orangutans were very curious to come over to watch us and what was going on. It was hilarious when one of the orangutans stuck a palm frond through the gate, and repeatedly poked the Curator with it. She smiled wide, and said, "This is all day every day with these guys!". We all laughed together.
After a while of the Curator providing information and watching the orangutans up close, the big highlight comes. You're given a wooden skewer with a metal ring attached at the end, which prevents the orangutans from taking the skewer into the enclosure. The Curator puts a single grape on the end of the skewer, and you're allowed to feed it to any orangutan you'd like! After feeding the orangutan of your choice, the Curator will place another grape on your skewer. I was surprised they allowed me to share 15-20 grapes! The youngest orangutan at 2.5 years old, Roux, was absolutely adorable and received the majority of my grapes. The way that the orangutans tried to get your attention (and your grape) by vocalizing, banging on the gates, and pulling each other away made my jaw drop in awe. At the end of the encounter, you can choose a small painting made by an orangutan. It's about 3 inches square and laminated.
I'm aware of four other zoos in the US that currently have orangutan encounters, including the Indianapolis Zoo, ABQ BioPark Zoo, Busch Gardens Tampa, and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I would love to hear about any other orangutan encounters or experiences that I missed! Thank you!
The encounter is approximately 30 minutes, and costs $200 per person. It's currently only offered on Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:30PM. There are four tickets available for each encounter. The encounter begins with a Tour Guide meeting you at the Visitor Information Center. They walk with you over to the orangutan enclosure, where I met the Assistant Curator of Primates at the Zoo. The Curator provides a brief summary of the rules in the staff-only area. The most important rule was to never cross the yellow line painted on the floor. After maybe five minutes, you're taken into the behind-the-scenes area of the orangutan enclosure. It's a relatively small space, and it's great they limit it to four participants at a time. Gates and fences surround you, and the orangutans are free to roam on three sides of where you are.
I can't express how superb the Curator was. She was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and excited to answer all the questions that I had. She provided some general background information about orangutan behavior, their diet, and personal and lineage details about the six orangutans living at the zoo. The Tour Guide was also exemplary. She was very approachable and friendly, and took many fantastic photos of me on my phone throughout the encounter. The zoo was also kind enough to call me a few hours before the encounter to say that one of the orangutans wasn't feeling well that day, and offered to reschedule or refund me. I was leaving town that day so I couldn't reschedule, and I'm so glad I didn't cancel!
The orangutans were very curious to come over to watch us and what was going on. It was hilarious when one of the orangutans stuck a palm frond through the gate, and repeatedly poked the Curator with it. She smiled wide, and said, "This is all day every day with these guys!". We all laughed together.
After a while of the Curator providing information and watching the orangutans up close, the big highlight comes. You're given a wooden skewer with a metal ring attached at the end, which prevents the orangutans from taking the skewer into the enclosure. The Curator puts a single grape on the end of the skewer, and you're allowed to feed it to any orangutan you'd like! After feeding the orangutan of your choice, the Curator will place another grape on your skewer. I was surprised they allowed me to share 15-20 grapes! The youngest orangutan at 2.5 years old, Roux, was absolutely adorable and received the majority of my grapes. The way that the orangutans tried to get your attention (and your grape) by vocalizing, banging on the gates, and pulling each other away made my jaw drop in awe. At the end of the encounter, you can choose a small painting made by an orangutan. It's about 3 inches square and laminated.
I'm aware of four other zoos in the US that currently have orangutan encounters, including the Indianapolis Zoo, ABQ BioPark Zoo, Busch Gardens Tampa, and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I would love to hear about any other orangutan encounters or experiences that I missed! Thank you!
