Yesterday, that is on 26th August, the Dublin Zoo has disclosed the plans for replacing one of its oldest enclosures in order to create a gorilla rain forest. The natural African tropical forest habitat will be restructured for the five western lowland gorillas of the zoo.

The director of the Dublin zoo, Leo Oosterweghel has said that “after its recreation, it will be the envy of the zoos everywhere and this rain forest would be regarded as one of the world’s best homes for gorillas.”

While comprising the African Savannah and family farm, this project is a part of the development plans of the zoo and this €2 million project will be financed from the annual income of the gate takings, savings and reserves. The zoo is also open to sponsorship.

This project will begin in the next year in September and will take almost a year to complete. The new landscape, a 12,000sq m area, will comprise of small hills, streams, dense vegetation, rocky outcrops and rolling topography, enabling the herbivores to look for food and also provides a resting place.

Nevertheless, the visitors of the zoo can look at the western lowland gorillas in their habitats through the special observation points that are concealed along the forest paths.

The director has added that “the habitat would let the healthy primates to continue breeding and to encourage the natural behaviors and this new enclosure confers an opportunity to the zoo in order to expand the group.”

Lena, which was born in 1984, is the oldest gorilla and it is the mother of Evindi, the youngest gorilla that born 4 years ago. The gorillas of the Dublin zoo gorillas are part of a breeding population of some 400 in European zoos.

Car hire services in Dublin are provided from 353, Thrifty, Dan Dooley, Enterprise and Hertz car hire.