Chimps have a new home

The chimpanzee enclosure at the Johannesburg Zoo has been renovated and modernised. It now even has heated rocks for the animals, and more space.
RENOVATING the enclosures is not just about getting more people to visit the zoo; it's also about making lives better for the animals, making sure they are comfortable, cared for and well-fed.

Visitors are able to get up close and personal with the chimpsVisitors are able to get up close and personal with the chimpsStephen van der Spuy, the chief executive of the Johannesburg Zoo, pointed this out at the launch of the revamped chimpanzee enclosures on 28 September.

He said that every year, the zoo did something to make sure it had modern enclosures that met modern standards, as visitor numbers increased.

Before 2001, some 280 000 to 290 000 people visited the zoo each year. “Last year, we saw 552 000 visitors, so the escalation of the visiting numbers has been substantial. And that is purely due to getting rid of enclosures that look bad and making sure that animals are well looked after,” he said.

The zoo was a reflection of the city and if it was well-maintained it would help Johannesburg become a world-class city.

In 1934, the first chimpanzee joined Joburg Zoo; in 1957, the zoo recorded its first chimp birth. The initial chimpanzee enclosure renovation was in 1970. “It was really old style and it did not fit international standards,” he said.

The new enclosure is one of the best in the world and houses “super chimpanzees”. “Chimps can be thugs. They can beat each other if they want to. But we have a group that is absolutely amazing. They are very gentle and get along well together,” said Van der Spuy.

In all, there are seven chimps at the Joburg Zoo. The oldest is 28-year-old Daisy, the mother of five-year-old Charles, the youngest. Van der Spuy thanked everyone who had played a part in making the renovation possible, from the contractors to the zoo staff.

The renovation included installing glass viewing sites around the enclosure, where visitors are able to see the chimpanzees eye to eye, and heated rocks to attract the chimps to sit next to the windows. The moat has been filled in to make more space available for the chimps to explore. A water feature, tree stumps, plants and artificial rocks have also been installed.

The enclosureThe new chimpanzee enclosure “The next phase of the development, which will be made possible by donations, will involve planting more trees, building a jungle gym and mosaic artworks on the walls,” said Letta Madlala, the zoo's brand and communications manager.

Katherine Visser, the curator of the primate section, gave a guided tour of the new enclosure for those at the launch. She said its walls were five metres high.

“The chimps have been very happy in the new enclosure because it is spacious and they like interacting with visitors through the window,” she said.

They loved the space because naturally they liked scattering and hanging out in small groups so the new enclosure was perfect, she explained.

There was a sleeping area in which the animals were locked every night. They were released every morning to be fed fruit and vegetables.

The chimps also received a rugby ball to support the South African rugby team which is defending its world cup title in New Zealand.

The R3-million renovation began in May this year and ended at the beginning of September. Since it was built in 1934, the chimpanzee enclosure at the zoo has been revamped three times, including this year’s renovation.