Misperceptions and Misinformation Remain, Regarding What GH is all about…
by Jane Dewar,
24 November 2007
Gorilla
Haven offers a service to the zoo world. Are we a gorilla hotel? A gorilla
boarding school? A gorilla retirement home? All the above. Gorilla Haven is
not a sanctuary. Gorillas can move in or out, as requested by the zoo world,
whereas most sanctuaries have a one-way policy of animals coming in and
never going back out. A gorilla can stay temporarily or permanently, but
that’s up to the zoo world, not us. Gorilla Haven is not a zoo. We don’t own
or breed the animals – nor are we open to the public. We anticipate only
housing males, but can/will house males, females, young, old, infirm,
whatever is required. I'm continually stunned when I hear people say Gorilla
Haven can only take X kind of gorillas, or that we want to breed them to
make babies, which is simply not the case.In the Creative Loafing article, concern was expressed that Gorilla Haven would be mis-used as a “dumping ground” by the zoo world, where many people still don't "get" why we'd invest our life's savings into this project - surely there must be a financial gain for us, right?? Sigh. I will continue to be the voice for the welfare of any/all gorillas making GH their home (as well as all gorillas, captive or free living). Joe at 44 years old is happy being alone; Oliver is not. So while Joe could move to a zoo where he’d be the only silverback, we’re expecting he’ll stay at Gorilla Haven until it's his time to go to Gorilla Heaven.
Oliver, being deaf, can not be housed in an all male group. Genetically he has breeding potential, so the hope is he will have a family group one day. Meanwhile, he’s not thriving being away from other gorillas for the first time in his life, and ironically the other gorilla he could at least see – Joe – is stressed by being around other silverbacks, so we can’t even help Oliver that way. So, we’ve maxed enrichment, given him goat companions and we’re working with the zoo world to find him a female companion – even if this means moving Oliver to a zoo, if they won’t send a female to Gorilla Haven. There are relatively few gorillas living in social isolation, thankfully, and our goal is to make sure all gorillas have social opportunities if/as they need them.
Panoramic View from Top of Emma Villa, overlooking Oliver's yard
and the habitat beyond with Bonz villa at left,
Silverback villa
(where Joe lives) center, Group Building, and then Pitchou villa
at far right).