27th May 2017 - Gibbon enclosure

This is far more functional than I was expecting. Does it jar with the rest of tiger territory at all?
The planting inside is fantastic.

@FunkyGibbon

'Functional' is how I'd describe it too- I was expecting something more 'fancy' given their recent designs. It looks a bit like a bird aviary but I don't like the lack of height, for Gibbons. I think Twycross' effort, even though it is watermoated- is much better than this though of course that was a major build, which this obviously isn't.

How close is this new gibbon exhibit to the public walkway? The angle of the photo is likely to be deceiving, but it seems as if an individual could lean across and stretch their fingers to actually touch the mesh of the enclosure.

Having seen the video of this new enclosure on the ZSL London's Facebook page I was expecting something far bigger than this!

@Pertinax I have to say, it doesn't look too low for me, but it's a matter of perspective on two counts!

I certainly prefer this to the telephone pole and ropes approach. My one question is that there doesn't seem to be any perches or ledges apart from the upper walkway seen in another picture. Also we haven't seen the indoors yet.

I suspect the one thing we all agree on is that this is a positive development for London, the use of unseen areas to create a new exhibit. Roll on the next new thing!

@Crowthorne They do need a couple of platforms at high points to sit on. IMO the best gibbon cage at London was the one in the centre of the zoo- ugly but very tall unlike the more recent ones. I think for gibbons though, space for climbing is less important than space for swinging and sitting up high, as they really mainly travel by brachiation. That's why I think an open enclosure like Twycross' 'forest' scores over this by giving them more height and space. But for just a couple of Gibbons a more simple covered build like this was the obvious outcome here I think.