How do you get a gorilla to move house? That is just one of the questions Jersey Zoo keepers are having to consider as part of the ongoing work to create a new state-of-the-art gorilla enclosure.
In 2024, it emerged that this work had restarted following delays caused by increased building material costs.
Durrell has previously stated that the enclosure will include a new heating, humidity and cooling system, two large indoor housing spaces, eight different bedroom spaces, training areas and weighing areas.
It will also host research balconies for observing the gorillas’ behaviour, as well as a full CCTV system to allow keepers to monitor them, and large public-viewing windows.
In a recent video update, mammals team leader Mark Beresford showcases some of the progress being made on the facility, and what will happen once it is ready for the gorillas to move in.
Mr Beresford said: “We’re really happy with what we’ve managed to achieve with our gorillas, and for us taking it forward for the next 60 years this is more really what we’re after.
“The size and the scale of this is obviously much more appropriate for how we want to look after them.”
We put together a plan of action that’s based off of gorilla behaviours, so that we can know when the gorillas are comfortable and ready to move on to the next step of our phased approach
Mark Beresford
He noted that the new enclosure would still connect to the same “absolutely brilliant” outside space.
Mr Beresford also explained how Jersey Zoo planned to move the gorillas to their new home, a process that will begin with the removal of a partitioning wall.
“Then we’ll open up the doors [and] see if the gorillas want to walk in,” he continued.
“That could take one day, it could take a week, it could take two weeks, three weeks, four weeks.
“We put together a plan of action that’s based off of gorilla behaviours, so that we can know when the gorillas are comfortable and ready to move on to the next step of our phased approach to how we want to stagger it, to managing them exclusively in that space rather than the old buildings, because we don’t want to shut them off from that straight away.
“We’re going to keep operating both until the gorillas show us that they’re ready for the next step. And it’s important, because it means the decisions that we make are based off of their behaviour and their welfare.”