Gorilla Design

06-07-2008

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!

06-07-2008

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....

06-07-2008

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)





Alan

__________________
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

06-07-2008

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

06-07-2008

[quote=gentle lemur;59965]Pertinax 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)

Gentle Lemur- my first visit to Basel in 1969 the Gorillas had recently been moved into the new Ape House and the group had been altogether for just a short while I think. Stephi had lost the hair on his upper arms, stress either from the move to new quarters or the close proximity of the unrelated younger silverback Pepe whom by subtle postures he forced to stay on his own in the far right hand cage. Did you see the old cages in the Bird House(its gone now) where they used to live and breed- they were very small indeed.

I really like your photo of Stephi(or Steffi)- I believe I've seen it before so has it been published? He was a superb male and very photogenic. He passed on his distinctive looks to his two younger offspring- Migger(who was another superb male) & Quarta, while Goma & Jambo look(ed) like their mother Achilla. Quarta's daughter Faddama in the current Basel group also has the distinctive looks of Stephi too..

You mention Baron & Christina- I have photos of them though I never saw them (another story...). You'll know that Stephi was originally the youngest member of the trio at Columbus. I am pretty sure that Christopher/Stephi and Christina were closely related(half siblings?) as they were captured from the same wild troop by Bill Said while the considerably older Baron came from a different area(have you read the book 'Gorillas in our Midst- the story of the Columbus gorillas? by Jeff Lytle- an interesting read but with some inaccuracies) Anyway, you'll know Christopher/Stephi was later traded to Basel Zoo while Baron & Christina bred 'Colo' at Columbus. The interesting thing is that as an adult, 'Colo' has exactly the same facial appearance as her 'uncle(?)' Stephi at Basel- quite uncanny...

Now I see that Basel are finally building large outdoor enclosures for all their Apes.
I will try and copy the Baron/Christina photos that I have...

06-07-2008

were either of the original pair(Baron & Christina) still alive then? The male lived the longer and was always in a regulation cage in the Ape House.

07-07-2008

I hope Stuart doesn't mind if we hi-jack his thread for a little while

These photos have never been published before (they aren't that good - Gaf500 film was just for the amateur). I agree with you about Stefi (even if we aren't sure how to spell his name). My favourite photo of him was posted in Desmond Morris's book 'Men and Apes' - Head Keeper Stemmler (I think) was crouching beside him and they were giving each other a polite kiss. I'm not sure that even John Aspinall did that to a gorilla!
I have the book about the Columbus gorillas that you mention, I'll have to look for the family likenesses - but my own family will testify that I'm pretty hopeless at that sort of thing ('cousin A has grandma B's nose' I just never get it).
I visited Basel in '72 and '73, when the gorillas were in two groups, Stefi and Achilla with Quarta (and perhaps Migger) on the left of the Ape House, and then Pepe and Goma with baby Tamtam (fathered by Jambo, who had just been sent to Jersey) and I think the other female, Kati. This second group in the right hand indoor enclosure which had a little triangular concrete outdoor cage as well. I saw the old Bird House cages where they lived previously. They were indeed small, but quite high and held a very active group of black and white ruffed lemurs - which were unusual zoo animals at that time.

Alan

__________________
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

07-07-2008

I've seen it spelled as Stephi, Steffi & Stefi... That is an amazing photo in 'Men & Apes'- I would estimate he's about 11 years old there- he must have been a very gentle male, yet not badly humanised... that is Karl Stemmler in the photo too. I've seen other photos of Stefi in the original cages and he was pretty fat(lack of exercise) but that all changed after the move into the new house...(increased stress caused a rapid weight loss initially, the first time I saw them he was very 'slim', almost gaunt.)

Basel's Achilla with Quarta was the first time I'd ever seen a baby gorilla with its mother (!) including suckling or riding on her back. Quarta was about two then, Migger five, Jambo nine, Goma adult. Stephi definately did not tolerate 'Pepe' in the group and on later visits, as you saw, he lived seperately with Goma (for whom he was originally obtained as a playmate*) The unrelated 'Kati' never raised a baby successfully and so has no offspring- she is still alive along with Goma as the oldest females in their current group.

'TamTam' now lives at Wuppertal- he looks identical to Jambo but oddly, despite a perfect background, he has never bred there. 'Migger' turned into a stunning-looking male(more so than Jambo)- sadly he didn't live a very long life after he moved to La Palmyre in France, where two of his sons still live.
That tiny outdoor cage at Basel was built on later after the house was complete. Its been the ONLY outside cage the Gorillas have had all this time up until now.

The Columbus Book- there is actually only one GENUINE picture of 'Baron'-page 28, ALL the others labelled him are not him, they are of Millie/Christina... Compare the(genuine) ones of 'Colo' on Pages 75 or 77 with Stefi and you should see the remarkable facial likeness.

I have a couple of others of Baron/Christina as adults & one of all three(including Stefi) together in one photo. Have you seen the Nat Geo film 'Gorilla' (circa 1980's)? The adult 'Baron' appears in several shots of that too, as a typical 'zoo gorilla in cage' with a curious audience of people- though his identity is never mentioned.

* Did you know that Goma's first companion wasn't Pepe but a slightly older male called 'Kulu' who turned out to be too large and rough for her- so he went to Howletts where he later became Aspinall's very first silverback. Sadly 'Kulu' died in his prime aged about 12 and before he could breed- his death set them back ten years with breeding, until they were able to get 'Kisoro' from Chicago. I never saw 'Kulu' as by my first visit he was already dead and I've only ever seen one photo of him- on a poem Aspinall wrote about his death...

07-07-2008

yes, weren't they. I remember them at Basel. The first one I saw in the Uk was at London- presented by David Attenborough. It lived alone for many years in the Clore Pavilion, before they finally got a 'Red' male for it and they produced a hybrid- coloured young.

07-07-2008

BTW, about design.

Why gorilla cages (and those of many other animals) don't have dead leaves as substrate? It is most natural. In temperate climates you get lots of these in autumn. Some parasitic problems, or rot, or just nobody thought about it?

It is one detail which differs between all zoos and wild exhibits. You don't get grass in rainforest.

07-07-2008

HI Pertinax,

My interest in Gorillas is not really to do with the individual animals. There enclosures and how they respond to them is what fascinates me. So l would have no idea about Baron & Christina I am sorry to say.

I could go on forever about how creative the keepers were at Columbus. There ideas on feeding and enrichment. I have never seen since such comprehensive work like they were doing with natural remedies for the ailments of there gorillas.

I can however tell you a little about Melbourne zoo's gorillas.

Rigo has been with the entire Melbourne group for the past 6 months. At first he spent allot of time sleeping!! He is now showing signs of sexual interest in the females.

His introduction was very gradual. Using the old gorilla, orang and chimp exhibit areas.

He really is one of the finest specims of gorillas, l have ever encountered. I have not seen him throwing feaces for several years now. Probably his most problematic problem l believe for the purpose of exhibit.

Yes G-Anne has only 1 hand. Seems to have adapted without any problems.

The Gorilla Exhibit, when first opened was without any enrichment devices. That did not appear to be from there natural environment. The Zoo policy seems to have changed and now there is allot of great enrichment tools in there for them.

Personally l belive that we have a trully world standard gorilla exhibit. Just wish they would cover it all over to allow for 3 dimensional use!

Hope you are haveing a good day.

Stuart

07-07-2008

One of the enclosures at Columbus was modeled on the Howletts design and I feel a few of there ideas as well

07-07-2008

Hi Jurek7 could not agree with you more.

Antwerp that has introduced meerkats into the gorilla enclosure. This has solved the problem of mice in the gorilla’s enclosure. Requiring some adjustments to the enclosure.

The idea of placing deep litter including. Dead leaves, bark or straw. Usually is followed with the response it encourages mice and all there associated problems.

So the Gorillas at Antwerp win in so many ways.

They get to forage as they would in the wild.
All the associated interaction that goes with foraging and finding the great finds. As hopefully distributed by the keepers.
The stimulation of having meerkat's in there enclosure.

All of the above and many more reasons associated with deep litter. Create a more attractive exhibit. That hopefully further enhancing the visitor experience. So that they return more regularly and bring there friends. Contributing more $$ to the zoo. To further enhance there exhibits.

All this from 2 excess meerkats!

Meerkat reference from Gorilla Gazette may 2008. Page 69
U have to love Jane's commitment!

Stuart

07-07-2008

Everyone has a slightly different interest of course- I find all these different spheres of interest in gorillas(or any animal species) tend to link up and provide even more information for us.

My very first post on this forum was about Rigo and the situation at Melbourne. Last I heard they were considering AI but from what you say maybe they won't have to if he starts mating. During the introductory phase, do you know which females Rigo was put with first, or was it the whole group at once after seeing them in neighbouring cages in the indoor areas? Also do you know which female(s) is he is starting to showing some interest in now?

Melbourne's enclosure has improved a lot since the trees grew giving them more shade and cover- it looks very natural really and the mulch-type flooring is quite similar to a rainforest floor in some ways. I can't see they'll ever cover it over though it would be brilliant if they could!

G. Anne lost her hand at Jersey- it had to be amputated after she had a bad reaction to a sedative drug they were testing before she was shipped to Melbourne. From seeing her at Melbourne, it seems most visitors don't even notice she has a hand missing.

07-07-2008

So what type of substrate do they use at Antwerp now? Is it in both indoor and outdoor areas, or just the outdoors?