Monkey Land - Part 6: Gorilla Outlook

This is the sixth installment in a series of posts touring a primate-themed zoo which I built in 2021, named Monkey Land. You can read an introduction for it here.

One of the park's biggest attractions is Gorilla Outlook, which is dedicated to the western lowland gorilla and situated adjacent to Pan Trail. The name is meant to have a double-meaning with one simply referring to the exhibit being an "outlook" (as in a viewing area) for gorillas. The second is a reference to the subspecies' "conservation outlook" (as in its future):

Gorilla Outlook features an outdoor enclosure which is viewed from across a concrete moat. This is the path where you look from:

I used heavy planting in the enclosure to try and simulate the gorilla's natural habitat. I figured a shy species would probably appreciate dense foliage. I also planted trees in the centre of the enclosure, away from any barriers in case they fall and provide opportunities for escaping. Of course, this isn't something which happens in the game but is something which happens in real-life:

The viewing area provides a wide, open-air view of the enclosure. This image also shows the climbing frame which is present:

This image shows the concrete moat which I guestimate is about four metres tall. The slither of water along the bottom keeps the gorillas away from the wall where the animals would be out of sight to guests above:

This is Kembo, the park's lone silverback and one of four (1.2.1) western lowland gorillas kept at the park. His name translates to Glory in Lingala, a language of the Congo:

Around one side of the enclosure, there's a path which slopes down towards the Gorilla House. It provides additional views into the outdoor enclosure, as well as views into the indoor one:

This is the entrance to the Gorilla House and part of its exterior. I figured a new, high budget building would feature a modern architectural design, so I went with one. I'm no architect, so I used a reference image I found online to create it. Sadly, I don't have the reference image saved anywhere, so I can't share it (edit: I've now realised, over a year later, that I put the "Outpost" on the sign instead of "Outlook", oops!):

This is the immediate view once you step into the building. The interior is spacious, well lit and minimalist in style to reflect modernity: 

The centrepiece of this building would probably be the huge glass viewing window into the outdoor enclosure. It provides a completely different view to the moat outside and shows off an area where I tried to simulate a dried riverbed — an idea I may have picked up from a few American zoos I've seen:

Opposite, you'll find the viewing windows into the indoor enclosure. I added signage nearby:

There's three large viewing windows into the enclosure and a further eight windows to provide natural sunlight. The indoor enclosure features straw bedding, as well as a wooden/rope climbing frame. It connects to the outdoor enclosure via a tunnel which passes through the off-show/backstage areas (not visible in the image below):

The image below shows the climbing frame, which includes some heavy duty ropes. There's also a few raised bedding areas in the corners of the room. From what I understand, gorillas aren't too fond of rain and retreat indoors whenever it appears. Needless to say, downpours are a common occurrence in the UK, so I thought it was important to have an indoor enclosure for the gorillas to escape to and one which visitors may continue to view them in. Thinking about it, in all my zoo visits, I don't think I've ever seen a gorilla outdoors in the UK:

Nearby, there's also a smaller viewing window which provides a view into the foraging box where the gorillas can be seen foraging for food:

Here's another view of the interior. I mostly freestyled the interior and didn't use any reference images but I'm surprisingly happy with how it turned out as interior design isn't one of my strengths:

The area also features a gorilla sculpture which I pretend was donated by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, another visitor attraction in the Wakefield area:

The image below shows part of the Gorilla House. The larger viewing windows can be seen on the left, the foraging box windows can be seen in the middle, and the access hatch for the indoor quarters can be seen on the right. There's also a little glimpse of the backstage area through some more viewing windows but it's not fleshed out so I won't be showing it:

This is a general overview of the outdoor enclosure. It features tall concrete retaining walls on all sides, topped by hot wire:

This is the view from the other side of the building in one of the keeper car parks. The large door on the left allows keepers access into the enclosure, whilst the smaller door on the right provides access to the indoor backstage area:

Let's wrap this up with an overview of the whole area:

We'll take a look at the capuchins next!