Melbourne Zoo July 2009

This photo shows one of the outdoor orang-utan exhibits at Melbourne Zoo. On the day I visited there were two orang-utans in here in the morning but later on there were a family of siamangs.

pure brilliance!

It does, so much for them to climb.

I've actually seen orang-utans get around the whole exhibit using the sway poles. If they can't reach the next pole on their first swing they'll sway back and forth until they lean over far enough to get it. This would have to be one of the simplest innovations but it works spectacularly.

Good way of keeping them off the ground I guess. Snowleopard will be pleased!

Haha ashley! I just logged in again and laughed aloud after I read your comment as you definitely know what I think about ape exhibits. It always amuses when I read signs at zoos telling the public that the great red apes of Asia spend 85% of their life in the trees, and then sure enough there are no orangs anywhere but sitting under sacks on the ground.

I visited the Melbourne Zoo in 2007 (and would actually like to move there one day) and the orangutan/siamang exhibit is quite the intriguing complex. It is great for both the apes and vistors, and while I'd prefer to see a more naturalistic orang forest that is similar to Woodland Park's exhibit, I do think that Melbourne has done a great job with their fairly new ape enclosures. There is certainly a wealth of climbing opportunities.

What are the sway poles made of? At first I thought bamboo but then it would snap so I am intrigued.

I think they're metal or something...You could say if zoolex mentions what they are made of on the presentation for this exhibit.

The sway poles are made of metal and fibreglass. There are over 200 in the open exhibit!!

I was surprised that the whole orangutan sanctuary cost $6.5m, a bit excessive in my opinion.

By US standards, that is a surprisingly low cost for what was built. For example, LA spent $19 million on two mediocre gorilla exhibits, with no public viewing of the holding areas.