Forgive me teasing others, let me also play a little
GUINEA CHIMPANZEE FOREST
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Visitors enter over a
small bridge over the stream (1). They first pass a
children playground with sandy ground (2). Climbing structures are themed as giant trunks of rainforest figs. Children can climb inside them, walk on suspended bridges and ropes looking like lianas and slide down on slides. The playground and climbing equipments is decorated with many
sculptures of West African animals, focusing on species not found in zoos like forest elephants, chevrotains, pithacantres etc., with short information about their habits. There is also a large humorous sculpture of mokele-mbembe on which children can climb. There is also
African themed restaurant (3). The restaurant backs the busy perimeter road and isolates the playground from the noise, but the upper part of the playground is visible above, making a teaser for families going on the street outside the zoo.
On the opposite side, we see the first animal exhibit, a lively troop of
guinea baboons (4). They have moat exhibit with trees mimicking tree trunks in the playground, inviting the idea that playing children and climbing baboons are not so different. One side of the exhibit is enclosed by the high glass (5). It is a site of a daily animal encounter. Keeper gives talk abot baboons and rainforest, and then
visitors can feed the baboons through holes in the glass. The glass forms a foot-wide bank at the waist hight on the baboon side. Baboons can sit on it, and reach through ssmall holes down, and pick food from visitors hands, but not stick the muzzle through and bite. Outside feeding, the holes are blocked by a thick plank of plastic. Nearby is open exhibit of
cusimanse, with the view of baboons on the same rocky hill in the background.
Then visitors
walk under giant fallen tree trunks suspended over the path, overgrown with ferns and lianas, and enter the area called
Rainforest River.
We walk along a cross-section of West African river, with 8,3ft/2,5 m tall glass pane providing underwater and above water view. First is large exhibit for a pair of
African manatees (6). Backdrop are rainforest plants. Then the manatee section passes seamlessly into underwater and above water exhibit of
spotted-necked otters (7) It has waterfall and submerged rocks. In addition otters are periodically let inside manatee pool, providing enrichment for both. Another large fallen tree trunk separates otters from the next tank. It houses
slender-snouted crocodiles and some
fish (8). The pool has several tree trunks submerged in the water near the viewing window. Therefore crocodiles rest of them nicely presenting theselves towards visitors. Education is in the form of
screens showing films, and
sculptures showing animals and behaviors.
On the opposite side, there is an underwater view of exhibit for
pygmy hippos and many
large West African fish (9). This exhibit is covered with net and makes a
walk-through aviary for African birds:
hadada ibises, hornbills, parrots, turacos, glossy starlings and others. Co-habitants on the floor are also
unstriped ground squirrels. Visitors can also enter the aviary on a wooden elevated walkway from the side, and see the birds on the upper level. There is additionally a
treetop view of monkeys in the exhibit next door.
Then we enter the
Chimpanzee Research Station (10). This is a building with wooden panneling, showing a research station studying chimpanzees in West Africa.
Visitors can see equipment and everyday work of researchers, including field notes, processing samples (read: dung).
Monitors show researchers and park guards talking about their work and chimpanzee behaviors. The purpose is to let people learn about chimpanzees, research and conservation, by showing everyday work of a field biologist. The second part showcases several reserves in Western Africa. Here
rangers and park managers talk about their work, and films show everyday problems of park management. There are also
interactive computer games: one asks player to guide a chimpanzee on its everyday activities in Africa, another to guide park manager facing daily problems of park management. This his gives visitors understanding of the problems faced with wildlife conservation in West Africa.
Left side of this building looks into a glass panel, which is many visually connected
terraria for small animals: invertebrates, frogs, small reptiles, dwarf crocodiles, rock pythons, rodents etc. One terrarium is shared between
goliath beetles which are much bigger than Matthey's mice. There are also some
aquaria for smaller West African fish including
freshwater butterfly fish and
electric eels. There is also large
night exhibit for aardvark, african brush-tailed porcupine, potto and senegal bushbaby. Right side of the building is a roofed veranda, like often in African houses. It overlooks exhibit of
leopards (11). This exhibit is especially richly planted, because leopards don't destroy plants. It is protected by piano wire, and filled with tree trunks and living plants, imitating rainforest plants. First floor of this building houses
conference/education halls. From there one can also see over the leopard exhibit on the first floor level, this time without the netting. This hall is also
accessible directly from outside the zoo.
Then we go outside. We pass two glass-fronted exhibits for the zoological stars of the complex. One holds a pair of
african golden cats, another pair of
giant pangolins mixed with
white-crested hornbills (12). Both mammal species have sleeping dens in a giant hollow, artificial log of a fallen tree. Humans can go inside and see these animals asleep in the red light. Both species are nocturnal, so the only way to see them is to present them asleep or a visit during the feeding time. Nearby aviary is shared by
white-headed vultures and crested porcupines (13).
Then the visitor walkway crosses the stream. It is themed as a
rainforest river, with logs suspended across it, fake rock outcrops etc. The walkway goes gently up, on a ramp 5 meters above the ground. We walk over two wooded exhibits (17,18). They are
rotation exhibits, each houses
forest buffalo one day and
chimpanzees another. Afterwards the path descends to the ground. Then we pass the creek back.
Then we arrive at the
chimpanzee encounter area (19). In front of a small grassy paddock, there is a small
amphitheater. There are everyday
feeding presentations of chimpanzees with educational message. There are video screens there, and a short film is played about chimpanzees and rainforest. Then chimps walk on suspended tree trunks across the creek, and come to the presentation area, and kepers throw them food, talking about each animal. Nearby is
chimpanze indoor building (20). Overall, chimpanzees have access to
four outside enclosures: two rotated with buffalo, which they cross on suspended logs over a creek, and one exclusive for them (21), which they pass via the wire tunnel overead of visitors.
Walking further, visitors encounter
threats to the forest. Fake snares are attached to small trees. Tree trunks bear signs of cutting or are cut and gathered for transport. There is a camp of charcoal burners. There is also a site of illegal mining. There is also fake native hut, with a blood stained table in front. More blood is sprayed at the door of the hut. The explanation is double. First, all wild animals in Western Africa, from beetle grubs to chimpanzees, are eaten as bushmeat, which leads to their hunting to extinction. Second, butchering passes animal diseases to humans – including Ebola which breaks out in Western Africa. Nearby is
the viewing tower. It allows to look at chimps and monkeys at the tree level. On a tree nearby, there is a
platform of a biologist studying forest elephants, with his equipment and notes over elephant study.
On the other side of the tower, there is a shared exhibit of
yellow-backed duikers and mona monkeys (22). It can be seen from the viewing tower above or from the ground level behind the glass. It is open topped, and surrounded by tall fence. Monkeys keep to the climbing equiplment in the middle of the exhibit, and duikers can run on the whole land are, also near the fence. Similar is another exhibit shared by
bongos, white-naped mangabeys and diana monkeys (23).
Besides chimpanzee and baboon encounters, twice a day there are
falconry shows in the chimpanzee encounter area. They feature West African birds like African sea eagle, bateleur, tawny eagle, lanner falcon and barn owl. In between,
small animals like ball python and giant millipedes are shown by volunteers at the playground, the education building and the amphitheatre. In the mornings there are
presentation feedings of all the animals. Keepers feed their animals, while a presenter goes from the exhibit to exhibit, explaining facts about animals. This is the best occassion to see golden cats and pangolins active.
EXHIBITS
Numbers correspond to the map.
1 - Entry bridge ca. 26ft/8m wide
2 – Treetop playground and mokele-mbembe sculpture - ca. 4300sq.ft/400m2
3 - Restaurant – ca. 3230sq.ft/300m2
4 – Guinea baboon hill – 6130sq.ft/ca. 570m2
5 – Rock hyrax exhibit ca. 320sq.ft/30m2, site of baboon feeding encounter and staff access
6 - Manatee exhibit – ca. 3770sq.ft/350m2 +2690sq.ft/250m2 filters, kitchen and staff area for water animals
7 - Otter exhibit – ca.1075sq.ft/100m2
8 – Slender-snouted crocodile exhibit – ca. 1615sq.ft/150m2.
9 - Pygmy hippo, unstriped ground squirrel and bird aviary - ca. 1075sq.ft/100m2 water area + 9690sq.ft/900m2 land area
10 - Chimpanzee research station (ground floor) and conference area/classroom (first floor) – ca. 4840sq.ft/450m2 visitor area + 2150sq.ft/200m2 staff space and small animal exhibits on each floor.
Smaller glass-fronted exhibits inside: mixed nocturnal exhibit for potto, bushbaby, aardvark and brush-tailed porcupine ca 807sq.ft/75m2, dwarf crocodile exhibit ca 323sq.ft/30m2, rock python ca 215sq.ft/20m2, and 15 aquariums and small animal exhibits ca 270sq.ft/25m2 together.
11 - Leopard exhibit – ca. 8070sq.ft/750m2
12 - African golden cat and giant pangolin exhibits – ca 2150sq.ft/200m2
13 – Vulture and porcupine aviary – ca. 1075sq.ft/100m2
14 – Start of elevated pathway
15 – Chimpanzee and forest buffalo rotation exhibit one, ca. 15605sq.ft/1450m2
16 – Chimpanzee view through the glass on the street
17 – Chimpanzee and forest buffalo rotation exhibit two, ca. 15605sq.ft/1450m2
18 – Buffalo holding building and service path, offshow aviaries for falconry birds, ca 1075sq.ft/100m2
19 – Chimpanzee encounter area with amphitheater, ca 4035sq.ft/400m2 visitor space + 4035sq.ft/400m2 chimps
20 – Chimpanzee holding building, ca 4035sq.ft/400m2
21 – Third chimpanzee exhibt connected by overhead pathway, ca 18300sq.ft/1700m2
22 – Yellow-backed duiker and mona monkey mixed exhibit, ca. 5380sq.ft/500m2
23 – Bongo, white-naped mangabey and diana monkey mixed exhibit, ca 11840sq.ft/1100m2
24 – Service area for pygmy hippo, birds, antelope and monkeys, partially below aviary walkway, ca 2150sq.ft/200m2
(full presentation in the attachment).