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Zoo News
Trail Blazing Chimp Enclosure Scoops Top Awards
Edinburgh Zoo’s world-class chimpanzee enclosure, Budongo Trail received two top awards from the zoo world following a prestigious awards ceremony held at Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire last week. The BIAZA Awards were given to the Zoo in recognition for the Zoo’s pioneering ‘Best New Zoo Enclosure’ and ‘Best Education Project: public and general visitor’.
The BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria) Awards are held annually and recognise outstanding contributions and achievements in the fields of wildlife conservation, advances in animal welfare and husbandry, sustained breeding programmes, marketing and PR, education, research and enclosure design.
The award of ‘Best New Zoo Enclosure’ was given to the Zoo for its state-of-the-art chimpanzee facility, Budongo Trail. This specialised enclosure can house up to 40 chimpanzees, with three 'living pods' of varying temperature and layout, and an extensive outdoor climbing frame offering the chimpanzees unprecedented space for exploration. It is also a major centre of chimpanzee research.
In addition the Zoo also scooped the award for ‘Best Education Project: public and general visitor’ for Budongo Trail’s innovative fun, interactive exhibits which allow visitors to learn more about the primates and their habitat. Budongo Trail also educates visitors about the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS) in the Budongo Forest, Uganda. BCFS involves the study of endangered chimpanzees in their natural habitat and the relationship between biodiversity and the local community and is primarily funded by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which owns Edinburgh Zoo.
David Windmill, Chief Executive of RZSS said:
“We are delighted that Budongo Trail has been acknowledged as a significant new development in zoo enclosure design and educational interpretation. We believe it a ground-breaking enclosure that takes chimpanzee welfare to another level and allows us to give visitors of all ages the opportunity to learn more about our closest relatives and the global issues threatening their survival.
We hope that visitors recognise that by visiting Budongo Trail at the Zoo, they are not only visiting a wildlife attraction, but they are in effect supporting the conservation and research of chimpanzees in the wild.”
Dr Miranda Stevenson, Director of BIAZA comments:
“Conservation within zoos and aquariums is a vital part of the work to protect threatened species and to help change public behaviour and ensure the future of Planet Earth. These awards recognise and celebrate the vital contributions that our members are making to conservation, environmental education and raising public awareness. Equally, they are standard bearers for excellence in animal husbandry and welfare.”
Editor’s notes
About BIAZA:
- BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria) is a conservation education and scientific wildlife charity, which acts as the principal professional zoo body representing the responsible zoo and aquarium community in the UK and Ireland.
- With over 90 members, its role is to develop and spread best practice within the UK and international zoo community, combining lobbying and campaigning with the development of policy in collaboration with the government and scientific organisations.
- Over the last 12 months, BIAZA members have supported more than 609 projects by providing financial support in excess of £7 million and by supplying skills, staff and equipment for conservation programmes worldwide.
- www.biaza.org.uk
- charity number: 248553
About Budongo Trail:
- Budongo Trail opened in May 2008 and is one of the world’s largest chimpanzee enclosures. It is currently home to 11 chimpanzees, but can house up to 40.
- The building is designed to stimulate the chimpanzees and encourage natural behaviour in accordance with recommendations made by Professor Vernon Reynolds, a world leading primatologist and founder of the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda. Professor Reynolds has studied chimpanzees for the past 43 years
- The outdoor section of the enclosure, which includes an extensive climbing frame for the chimps to explore, is designed to encourage the chimpanzees’ natural curiosity and intelligence. Visitors can view the chimpanzees from vantage points around the perimeter of the enclosure and from an innovative viewing balcony in line with the top of the climbing frame, which brings visitors close to the chimpanzees as they climb
- Budongo Trail incorporates a purpose built research centre where scientists and zoologists from universities will study chimpanzee behaviour. Visitors can view the researchers working through unique windows overlooking the research offices. Initial research will focus on chimpanzee vocalisations and group culture expanding on field research supported by RZSS in the Budongo Forest in Uganda
- The Budongo Conservation Field Station is located in the Budongo Forest in the North West of Uganda near Lake Albert. The forest is around 435km² and is the largest remaining Mahogany forest in East Africa
Edinburgh Zoo is owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), a registered charity, number SC004064. The Society was set up in 1909 ‘to promote, facilitate and encourage the study of zoology and kindred subjects and to foster and develop amongst the people an interest in and knowledge of animal life’. The Society will celebrate its centenary in 2009.