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Gorilla Sanctuary
Site Plan
A donation of 70 acres of land for the gorilla sanctuary has been made possible thanks to Maui Land and Pineapple Company (MLP) and especially thanks to MLP's Director Emeritus, Mary Cameron Sanford, in memory of her son, Allan G. Sanford, for whom the sanctuary is being named.
The gorilla sanctuary is being developed in three phases. Phase 1, currently under construction, represents the basic
compound necessary to accommodate several gorilla families-including Koko, Ndume and their potential offspring-in a large enclosed outdoor environment,
with indoor facilities for harsh weather, food preparation and human-gorilla communication studies.
Phases 2 and 3 - planned for future development-will add even larger enclosures, and a research center to promote
the better understanding and protection of great apes globally.
In all phases of the sanctuary, the facilities are being designed from a gorilla-centric perspective; that is,
the welfare and privacy of the gorillas come first-and in some cases we have been able to solicit
the gorillas' input on the design directly.
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Phase I and 2 Sanctuary Site Plan
Phases 1 (currently under construction) and 2 feature two very large, lushly foliated outdoor enclosures, connected by a two-story gorilla/staff building. The outdoor enclosures are 1 and .5 acres, respectively, with 20 foot high mesh roofs, and suspended "jungle gym" structures that will give the gorillas plenty of climbing, relaxing and enrichment opportunities. The glass hexagonal Interspecies Communication Pagodas in the interior of the outdoor enclosures (shown in yellow) will allow staff members to interact with Koko and other gorillas without a mesh barrier, and create a unique video experience for both the Visitor Center and the Internet.
The Gorilla Building will provide an indoor option for gorilla individuals and family groups during inclement weather, as well as interspecies communication research and observation areas for project staff members.
Finally, a quarantine area for new and/or sick gorillas, two staff houses, and a "browse farm" to grow edible indigenous vegetation will complete Phase 1. Completion of Phase 1 (anticipated in 2001-2) will enable the relocation of the Gorilla Foundation-including Koko and Ndume and many staff members-to the Maui Sanctuary (more than 10 times the size of our current facility in Woodside, California).
Gorilla Building
The gorilla building (or "house") provides an indoor option for gorilla individuals and family groups during inclement weather, as well as communication research and observation areas for project staff members.
1st Floor
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2nd Floor
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The first floor has 8 small and 3 large gorilla rooms along the outside walls, and human areas for food preparation, storage and communication studies, in the interior. The second floor is primarily for staff, with several offices, observation decks and windows, computer/video monitoring, and a mesh/glass interface to the upper gorilla day room for mutual observation.
Interspecies Communication Pagoda
A unique feature of the Sanctuary is the Interspecies Communication Pagoda - a glass enclosed hexagonal building at the center of the large outdoor enclosure that will enable unobstructed human-gorilla interaction. Panoramic video cameras placed in the pagoda and elsewhere will be the link between the Sanctuary and the Visitor Center. This will enable both the general public and gorilla caregivers to observe "natural" gorilla life in a mutually respectful manner. Additionally, the Visitor Center will feature a "virtual" pagoda, electronically linked to the "physical" pagoda, to provide a sense of "looking over Penny's shoulder" as she and other staff communicate with Koko and other gorillas via sign language.
An additional, smaller pagoda will be located within the small outdoor enclosure to extend this unique panoramic view of interspecies communication to wherever the gorillas may be habitating.
Access to the Interspecies Communication Pagoda(s) will be via an over-head catwalk, and ground-level doors, and will be reserved for Gorilla Foundation staff members and special friends and colleagues of the foundation.
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