Well considering only one individual of one of the species actually exists, I don't think anyone will be seeing this come to fruition..... Sounds like you have access to a vast amount of inside knowledge of what's going on behind the scenes at these zoos then. Even more reason why you definitely should not be posting about nonpublic plans on a notorious zoo forum. ~Thylo
We can joke around as much as we like but this, more than anything that has been said, is the takeaway lesson here. The old adage “loose lips sink ships” is very appropriate under these circumstances - I’ve lost count of the number of times projects (such as your supposed orangutan one) have been delayed and/or abandoned altogether because of things being posted on this forum and elsewhere online. This is a site for zoo news and enthusiasm, but unless explicitly told to share the news I always find it best not to post it online! Whether that is social media or here...
And it's a long hypothetical route to Dartmoor holding Orangs, as I said I won't hold my breath. If these people really have so much money and care about apes wouldn't it be more straightforward to use those millions to highlight the plight of mistreated apes and rescue them now (in the same way Monkey World has in virtually eradicating apes as photo-props in Europe) rather than take such a drawn-out circuitous route?
Read "Next of Kin" by Rodger Fouts. A nice introduction to the myriad of books about signing apes. It's not something that's going to be making any company any money right now and not something a sensible zoo would want to be associated with. But is Ben sensible...?
All depends on whether or not he can run the gambit of managing a large capital campaign (unless the rules are significantly different unlike the States) as well as find a unique yet somewhat naturalistic design that actually portrays life in a Bornean or Sumatran rainforest canopy reasonably well. (Anything but the design in Indianapolis is welcome in my book).
