Major milestone in Jersey Zoo history as new state of the art gorilla house officially opened

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has officially opened a brand new, state-of-the-art, gorilla house at Jersey Zoo, transforming the care offered for its four Critically Endangered gorillas.

The new house is nine times larger than the previous enclosure and replaces the existing gorilla facility that opened in 1981.

Her Royal Highness has been Patron of Durrell Wildlife Trust for more than 50 years. The Princess unveiled the new enclosure at Jersey Zoo, headquarters of the Trust, during a private visit on Thursday 30 April. This opening comes ahead of the public opening of the house, which is on a phased basis from Tuesday 5 May.

Jersey Zoo has been home to western lowland gorillas since November 1959, the same year that the zoo opened. The first gorilla, N’Pongo, arrived on 22 November and was two years old. She was the first mammal in the animal records at the zoo, labelled M1. Gerald Durrell, the zoo’s founder, even wrote about N’Pongo in his short story ‘Gorilla and the Guest Room’.

Inside the house there are two large indoor viewing spaces, eight dens, dedicated training and weighing areas, and systems to control the temperature and humidity. The space has been designed to encourage the gorillas’ natural behaviour, with deep bark chip flooring for foraging, climbing structures up to five metres high, and ropes and platforms for movement and play. The zoo’s keepers can also observe the troop from dedicated research balconies, which is supported by a full CCTV system.

Speaking about this momentous occasion, Rebecca Brewer, Chief Executive Officer at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, commented: “This is a defining moment for Durrell and for Jersey Zoo. Gorillas are synonymous with our history, and this new house represents a major step forward in how we care for endangered species.

“It brings together everything we have learned about welfare, environment and behaviour over the last 60 years. It reflects our commitment not just to the animals in our care, but to the future of conservation globally. It was a privilege to welcome our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, to open this important new facility, and we are incredibly grateful for her continued support.”

Durrell’s Director of Zoo Operations, Mark Habben, added: “This is about looking ahead, creating spaces that reflect our welfare focus, giving animals the flexibility and space they need to thrive. From start to finish, every consideration has been given to this building. It provides the opportunity to manage the gorillas with greater reference to their cognitive and management needs whilst providing them with greater opportunities to develop their dynamic social structure. We’re really excited for people to come and see it, and to watch the gorillas explore their new home.”

The development of this house has been supported in part by public fundraising, including the much loved 2019 Go Wild Gorillas trail, which raised more than £1.1 million, alongside generous donations from the Government of Jersey Fiscal Fund as well as individuals, businesses and trusts.