I was having a chat to a non-zoo nerd friend today, and she mentioned gorillas at Perth Zoo in the 1980s. I told her that Perth Zoo has never had gorillas. After much debate, we agreed that I should double check this on here. Perth Zoo has never had gorillas have they? Can someone please confirm or deny this? Cheers, Grant
The on-line gorilla studbook Gorillas Galore - Captive Gorilla Lists - Stud Book doesn't list Perth Zoo as ever having had gorillas.
Perth had Black Macaques in the 1990s - that could explain it if she was a decade out. In the 1980s they had chimps, which is the other possibility for error.
I'd say given the size difference, it's more likely she confused her memory of seeing a chimpanzee (rather than a macaque) but I've met a guy who swore blind he saw a herd of hippos at the Hamilton Zoo (I'm sure he meant rhino) so I shouldn't assume. Perth Zoo had chimpanzee until 1992 and then again for less than a year in 1998-1999.
Gorillas - no. Chimps - as has been mentioned, yes. Sulawesi macaques - yes and could be the inspiration. But I wonder if it was the vocal pair of siamangs (drew more attention at the zoo, then were ever given credit), just up from the orangs in the old eagle aviary? Would fit the time line.
I remember a Gorilla at Perth zoo in 1982. Near the entrance turn right past the cafeteria in a big cage painted white looked like a bird cage. In front of now abandoned area that had cement monkey cages behind it. A water merri go round nearby and a fairy penguin castle water feature near the cafe. Your friend is right. One large male Gorilla was at Perth Zoo cruelly on display in a cage that looked like it could not stand up in that was far too small with a sign that said do no feed on the cage. I remember him stretching his arms and both hands were outside of the cage that is how large he was. 1990s the cage was rusted and still visible yet roped off as a no go area.
This sounds like the chimpanzee cage. I suspect most people probably aren't aware of just how big adult chimpanzees are when seen up close.
I was in correspondence with the Director of Perth zoo at the time and no there were never Gorillas at the zoo!
Were you at the zoo in the 80 s ? There was one that definitely looked like a gorilla. Not a chimpanzee. More than twice the height and weight of a human man. Not a silverback. Western gorilla. All black. Chimpanzees were in a block of pens and a quarter it's size. Not even close. I have never seen any animal that big before or since. It was enormous.
The zoo director told @Zorro there were no gorillas at Perth Zoo; the studbook lists no gorillas at the zoo; and the zoo held multiple chimpanzees during that time period. I think you have your answer. PS. I’ve never heard of any ape outside of Science fiction that was more than twice the height of a human.
That’s all very impressive, but the largest gorilla that ever lived was 1.95m. That’s not even close to “more than twice the height of a human male” is it?
Not all humans are 6 ft plus are they ? Some are 5ft. Quite a size difference in comparison. Taking into acount double the weight I was refering to. I have never seen a gorilla there since then. It did appear bigger than the orangutans. If you didn't see what was in the white cage how would you know ? Maybe it was on loan from another zoo and not permanent. Therefore not on record. I am not the only person who remembered seeing it surely. Hows your memory?
The thing is this is where memory begins to play tricks. Adult male gorillas are from 1.4 to 1.8 metres high and between 136 and 227 kg in weight, and they would be silverbacks. Females are noticeably smaller. Western gorillas also usually have a silvery grey wash through their hair and often have a reddish forehead. Check some photos online if you don't believe me. A male chimpanzee can be a very impressive animal and can be as large as a female gorilla, as well as having all black skin and hair. I would think it quite possible that a large male chimp may have been separated from females and juveniles, and so by comparison seem much larger. Having said that talking to a mate I have been told that Perth did have a Director in the '60's and '70's, Tom Spence, who was a primate nut. He used to have one of every primate species he could lay his hands on. It is possible that he had one gorilla. However my friend thinks this is extremely unlikely, if there was a gorilla everyone would have known it, and they certainly did not have them during his time in the '80's and '90's. For myself I remember going as a child to Taronga Zoo in the late 1960's and making quite an effort to see "King Kong" as the only gorilla in Australia. In 1974 I did work experience at Melbourne Zoo and was introduced to their new juvenile pair as the only gorillas in Australia other than those at Taronga. Later in the 80's and early 90's I was involved in Melbourne Zoo's Friends, and so followed closely the development of the rainforest and the integration of the last pair from Taronga, leaving according to their publicity to Melbourne again being the only zoo in Australia with gorillas.
Yes I remember 1 only. Not multiple. Possible? Well the aviary I remembered was similar to this pic I found. Yet smaller. I recall it being circular an unattached from a building in the 80s. This was before my time 50s and 60s. Maybe it was an extremely large chimp ? Maybe it was a Gorilla ? They look different to me though.
