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Tropical Forests to Open continued
Above, top: The Gorilla Conservation Center occupies the ground floor of the new building;
multifunctional spaces on the second floor will be used by the Zoo’s educational programs
to foster a deeper understanding of wildlife conservation among participants.
Above, bottom: Pedestrian pathways wind through Tropical Forests’ scenic outdoor
habitats and pollinator gardens.
G A T E W A YS | TR OPICAL FOREST S T O
GATEWAYS | TROPICAL FORESTS TO OPEN
Orangutans spend the majority
of their life in trees where they
forage for food, rest, and sleep.
They also move through their
habitat differently-by brachiating
or swinging from limb to limb.
“We thought about the kinds of
branches and structures we can
put up high that would give them
opportunities to brachiate and move
between spaces,” said Adkesson.
Besides trees, these include highly
durable, manufactured vines for
swinging and artificial bamboo poles.
"Watching them swing and sway
between the bamboo poles will be
spectacular to see!”
The outdoor habitat for the
South American primates was
designed for arboreal living high
up in trees, said Adkesson.
During warmer weather, trees
and other vegetation will create shade,
and drinkers and water misters will
create cool spaces. Heated rocks will
keep animals warm during the cooler
months. Transfer chutes, or tunnels,
connect the indoor and outdoor habi-
tats and animals can move indoors
at will to avoid excess heat during
the summer, cold during the winter,
as well as storms and high winds.
While outdoors, animals will be
constantly monitored by Zoo staff.
The health and safety of animals
were paramount in the design.
There are no sharp edges, materials
that can pose a risk of injury, or dead
ends where an animal can be trapped
by another. Materials used in habitats,
including live trees and plants, have
been approved by experts to ensure
they are not harmful to the animals.
OPEN