New Home For Orangutans - Here's A Plan!

Last weekend (5.18.24), I did a pre-post to this one, titled, Why Our Orangutans Should Be Prioritized Over Pandas - Pre-Post To What Should Be Done At Triple Grotto

https://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2024/05/why-our-orangutans-should-be.html

I had the post in draft for awhile, about what should be done at Triple Grotto for the Orangutans, but it kept getting pushed back as I tried to stay current with Panda Talk.  I wasn't done with my visuals, and as I thought about it, it became more wordy.  So, a pre-post was born.  Now I tackle putting my ideas in writing.  

I know the Orangutans have been here five years, and in Triple Grotto for three, but I still believe they should not live the rest of their lives in that enclosure as is.  The fight for them may have slowed down in recent times, but should never stop.  Now with the asinine price tag associated with housing Pandas, my outrage about their plight and "habitat", has been reignited.   So, whether or not anyone is listening, I'm documenting what I think they need and what should be done at Triple Grotto.

My ideas haven't changed much since I first started fantasizing about a Triple Grotto redo before the Orangutans even got here.  I have added a couple aspects though.  Back then, I had talked about ideas for Triple Grotto with the then Curator.  I envisioned a netted enclosure, and another enclosure at South Grotto for Siamangs.  He as well thought the same, in addition to adding new night quarters, which he thought could be done by building up on the existing night house.  As time went on, Director Peterson allegedly veto'd all Animal Staff suggestions, including netting, because "No Money".  The Orangutans were moved in, with nothing done to Triple Grotto for them, just crazy and ridiculous additions so the Keepers could access the grotto island from the visitor side.  

Another reason this post was stalled last weekend is, when I'd start to write out the logistics of ideas, I couldn't quite figure the best plan of action.  Obviously, if this ever happened I wouldn't be making the plan anyway, but I'm a fixer, so the way my brain works is to figure things out from start to finish.  Plus considering how projects at the Zoo get botched, maybe something I think will enter into the planning mix.  Anyway, let's first start with what needs to be done.  Triple Grotto and unused space south of it, covers a huge space, that could accommodate all that should be done.  

Ideally, I'd like to see this area have, each one of these aspects.  That said, I consider the first two are definitely Needs.

1. A netted enclosure size comparative to chimp yard, could be a bit smaller, but not smaller than what a full grotto size would measure.

2. A dayroom, with visitor viewing windows.

3. New night quarters to accommodate, Orangutans (adults and offspring). 

4. A smaller netted enclosure for Siamangs (Gibbon Family, known as Lesser Apes).

5. Ideally a second netted enclosure for another Gibbon species.

6. I'd also like to see an Aviary for Hercules the Great Hornbill! who was displaced by the Bird row tear-down and needs to be back in view.  This species, like the Orangutans and Gibbons, is part of Asian Conservation.

Space north of North Grotto, 

that could be used for Great Hornbill.

If you dont want to read the next part, you can skip to bottom of post for my visuals of complete idea.

Logistics... 

With the Orangutans occupying Triple Grotto exclusively, and the removal of the Keepers original walkway to access the islands from the night house, there are obstacles to a Triple Grotto redo.  For one, new night quarters could not be added to the existing building, as they need it.  The biggest obstacle is how to basically level the area while the Orangutans are living there.  

For those who aren't familiar, this is what the walkways that were removed looked like.  They were replaced with firehose.

When the new enclosures for the Chimpanzees were designed, and the area was dubbed Great Ape Passage, the original plan as I understood it, or as the illusion was presented, was that the Chimps and Orangutans would be rotating between the new spaces the Chimps occupy, and new spaces created in Triple Grotto, hense the SkyTrails.  Either that was never really a viable plan or something changed along the way, which essentially makes the SkyTrails an unnecessary expense.  That said, I'm thankful for the trails, otherwise where would the Orangutans have lived?  Plus, being aboreal, the Orangutans love the trails.  The points to all that, are two things... The reason the Orangutans need their own dayroom and part of the obstacle of redoing Triple Grotto.  

My original idea, before the Orangutans moved-in, was for the extra (Siamang) enclosure to be built in South Grotto, then the Orangutans would have a space asap, while North and Middle Grottos were being renovated for them.  Doing South Grotto first would have only required netting.  Now thinking about than plan, it doesn't seem to work in my mind as, a) Siamangs wouldn't need that large a space, b) with the addition of a dayroom and night quarters to the area, it seems only part of South Grotto space would be used for other enclosures, and c) building additional areas that need netting, will probably be an expense the Zoo won't want to consider.

So, that would technically leave keeping the Orangutans in North Grotto while work is done leveling the area and building a dayroom.  That said, the dayroom build would seem to be obstructed by the skyscraper bridge between North and Middle.  Removing the bridge would be ideal, but that would require a rebuild of, or a temporary, even removable walkway, from the night house building to grotto islands.  Is that even doable?  

The other, more logical, viable and ideal solution is that the Orangutans are shut-out of Triple Grotto and allowed rotating access once again into the Chimp yard, until the netted enclosure is completed for them.  I know there was a cleaning issue when they previously rotated, but since everyone stayed safe,  I think Staff could live with the inconvenience temporarily.  If I remember correctly, the Chimp yard netting only took a couple weeks at most to put up.  All that would seemingly need to happen on that site, would be, leveling the perimeter walls to island height and filling in the moat.  Create the perimeter net frame and put up netting.  They could leave the current structure, so no new build with that, seemingly necessary.  Animal.Staff can add stuff later, the goal of a larger topical space and higher climbing options would be fulfilled, pretty simply.

If that ideal solution of giving Orangutans temporary access to Chimp yard could happen (for the greater good!), it would be the quickest and easiest way to get this done. The whole site could be leveled, and filled in at one time.  Gosh I wish I had money to fund this, not only for the Orangutans, but to fulfill the fantasy of driving the the bulldozer and demolishing that damn bridge!  Talk about satisfying!

Anyway, once a netted enclosure is complete, and the rest of the area leveled and filled, the Orangutans can move back in and construction of the dayroom could start, with other builds to follow.  I envision a dayroom that has two sides mostly glass, as this area is a focal point in the Zoo and very open, so constructing something with concrete walls would look awful.  The sides facing out, adjacent to the netted enclosure and cafe, should be glass.  

This is Cleveland Zoo's Orangutan Dayroom.  It's indoors but all glass.  Using as example, since outside light coming in throughout.  Using glass on two sides, with outdoor viewing would give same open air feeling.  No concrete walls, from visitor side.

The sides facing existing night quarter building and what would be a new night quarters moving towards South Grotto area could be concrete.  The later wall could even serve as a wall that is one side of a new night quarters.  Not sure if a new wall would need to be built in front of night building or if dayroom build could be connected to current night building.  That's for good architects to work out.  I say good because whoever came up with the current bridge craziness should never be allowed to design anything again.

Anyway, my mind is tired now, so I'm going to just post my visuals.  All enclosures shaped using existing night quarter doorways and building walls as anchor points.

Aerial view of whole area

Aerial view of three main Needs.

My interpretation of how it could be.

Previous Post: Commentary Videos -Highlighting Orangutans/Triple Grotto

iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2024/05/commentary-videos-highlighting.html

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