Gorilla Design

Hi all, just found this site! Very impressed.

I have personally spent allot of the past 24 years. Travelling to zoo's that house Gorillas. Don't question why anymore. Just love to look at there enclosures and watch how they interact in there enviroment.

Will get around to uploading my library of photos soon. Hoping to hear from people with a similiar passion.

Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.
Margaret Mead


Stuart

 

Hi Stuart, weclome to zoobeat.
There are lots of other zoobeat members here on the forum with a passion for gorillas (Pertinax especially!). Have you ever visited any British zoos, and what did you think of their enclosures?

If you are interested, there are some pictures in my gallery of London Zoos new, multi-million pound gorilla kingdom.

 

Welcome Stuart to Zoobeat

 

Welcome Stuart,

More than anything you might learn here or share, I'vemost valued that this is just a bunch of decent people

 

HI Zooplantman, thanks for the welcome note. Yes very much looking forward to sharing my experiance and reading about other peoples experiances.

My experiance has always been. That people with a proactive nature regarding animals, have always had a very good heart.

So zoo plants, thats a great interest to have.

Stuart

 

UK Zoo's

Hi Chris and good morning.

I have been to many British zoo's over the years many several times including.
Chester,Howlettes,Port Lymphe,Dudley,Longleat,Twycross,Bristol,London [March this year].Paignton,Manchester.

No body does it better than Howlettes and port lymphe. There enclosures allowing for 3 dimensional use of the space and the straw lining of the floor. Two very basic options that really make the world of differance. Not often copied by other zoos. Usually because they are woried it will detract from showing a naturalistic exhibit!!! LIke gorillas live in urban cities!!!

So whats your "thing" then Chris?

All the best

Stuart

 

Gorillas have to trash and eat something, don't they?

 

HI Mark, thanks for the welcome note.

HOpe you have a great day.

All the best

Stuart

 

Yeah very distructive to there enviroment thats why they are nomadiac over a certain range in the wild. GIves the plants a time to regenerate before they come through again. BUtt they are great as most animals are at spreading the range of plants through there droppings.

 

[QUOTE

No body does it better than Howlettes and port lymphe. There enclosures allowing for 3 dimensional use of the space and the straw lining of the floor. Two very basic options that really make the world of differance. Not often copied by other zoos. Usually because they are woried it will detract from showing a naturalistic exhibit!!! LIke gorillas live in urban cities!!!

I would have to agree with that, they are out standing

 

HI mark, not sure that you would see my last message?

can you give me a run down on how to access someones photo gallery, also do we respomd in the forum or directly to a email address? what is the etiquet here???
stuart

 

PM sent

 

Welcome to Zoobeat! I think we may have to make a new section for gorillaholics like us

Alan

 

Hello to Alan and the rest of us!

Hi Alan, thank-you for saying "hi".

Have just read your profile. Chester, well here is a simple introduction.

I was 14 when the gorilla bug really hit, and that is another story!

16 when l found a book on George Mottershead. Could not tell you how many times l read that book Alan

So at 18 and my first trip O/S. Off l went to the UK arrived at the airport picked up my hire car and drove straight to Chester!

I arrived just after closing stood at the gates and cried. It was sad that the zoo had just shut for the day. The tears, were really more about.That l had made "IT". A long way in the life for this 18yo.

I even talked my way into meeting the then director! I cant remmer his name.

I do remmer the beutifull story of the polar bear. I cried again standing at the exhibit. Recalling the story of how it was made. Good things do come from "war".

Well Alan 24 years later. l have been to all the great gorilla collections, many of them several times. Still no where near getting my own zoo LOL.

Butt what a journey, without my obsessive passion for gorillas! I cant imagine. The people l have met and the experiances not just with Gorillas and zoo's. GOT TO LOVE THE JOURNEY!

Now more about you Alan, i have read allot of your postings. A broad knowledge!!!

Stuart

 

my best 'zoo gorilla' experience

So what was your best 'gorilla experience' at a zoo?

Mine was seeing the Basel Zoo gorilla family for the first time, having heard so much about them- the very first breeding Gorillas in Europe, and seen so many photos too.

I had already visited some other gorillas/zoos on the trip but walking into Basel's apehouse and seeing the famous parents Stephi & Achilla, and all their four children, Goma, Jambo, Migger and Quarta(still with Achilla) for the first time just on the other side of the glass was, and still is, undoubtedly the biggest highlight for me.

Goma and Quarta are still living at Basel, and through 'Jambo' in particular, multi-generational descendants of the original pair at Basel are still in our zoos today....

 

I'll add my greatest gorilla moment at a zoo...I think it remains my favorite all time zoo moment.

In the year before the Bronx Zoo opened the "Congo Gorilla Forest," film makers were there to get shots for the brief movie that is included in the exhibit. The zoo had two very young gorillas at the time (that is, one-year olds or a bit older) and the keepers and Curators had brought them into the completed, planted, but unoccupied okapi exhibit to get some close-up footage.

A keeper would set the gorilla down and the film makers would shoot it while it scrambled off. I stood off to the side watching and taking stills of this whole event (I was Curator of Horticulture there at the time). After a couple of attempts, one of the babies ran directly to me and, standing at my feet, raised its arms to me as a human child would ask to be picked up. I looked nervously at the Assistant Curator. Zoo employees are told early on that we keep human-gorilla contact to a minimum for health reasons. She nodded to me, I bent over, and the baby hopped into my arms. She stayed there, playing with my hair (and pooping slightly on my shirt) until the keeper came to get her for the next attempt. And then she ran to me again. This happened several times.

The keepers guessed that the babies ran to me bacause of my silver hair. As good a guess as anything, I suppose.

Even though I had my camera at my side and people were there, I could never take myself out of this moment of wonder ("a baby gorilla in my arms!") to ask someone to get a shot of it. Which I do regret a little. But I don't think that I will ever forget that day!

 

maybe this should be a thread now....

anyway,terrific- maybe she recognised a kindred spirit....

I've only ever been 'in' with a gorilla once- he was about five years old at the time, very playful but amazingly strong and quite rough too. I remember as we played he made a continuous gurgling/chuckling noise like soft laughter.

The odd thing is that years later when he was adult he always displayed vigorously whenever I appeared near his enclosure, but obviously it was hostile and he clearly didn't like me- it was funny to think back to our earlier encounter, as I wouldn't have fancied my chances going in with him then....

 

Thank you for your kind comments Stuart.
Pertinax's posting reminded me of my excitement at my first visit to Basel - a couple of years after his, as the gorillas were in what was then the new Ape House.
I have scans of my two favourite photos from that day and I have just posted them in the Gallery - not wonderful quality, but no gorillaholic will fail to understand their significance
I can't think of a better way to welcome you (unless someone can add photos of Baron Macombo & Millie~Christina)

[photo=8027;541;Achilla.jpg]Achilla 1972[/photo]

[photo=8028;541;Stefi.jpg]Stefi 1972[/photo]

Alan

 

Loving this forum, Way back when Milwaukee held the gorilla conferance. I was lucky enough to attend.

After the conferance l was invited to Coloumbus zoo by one of the keepers. Of course l went.

While there l was allowed to bottle feed a young gorilla through the mesh in the off exhibit area. The little guy looked at me and put his hand around my finger as l fed him.

Like zoo plant man l will never forget this.

Stuart