The complex artistic and technical intervention incorporates large, themed concrete tree structures to promote the five domains of animal welfare. BIOPARC follows a scientific and comprehensive approach to conservation, with the Foundation's on-site work and housing the largest group of true chimpanzees in Spain. The recent infants, Cala and Ekon, offer hope for this critically endangered subspecies.
One of the characteristics that has turned BIOPARC Valencia into one of the best animal conservation parks in the world It is the ability of Recreating the beauty of wild nature by uniting technique and artAll with the aim of to provide maximum well-being to the more than 6.000 animals of 150 species and offer a a unique and transformative experience to people, to spread awareness and awaken the care of our wonderful planet.
Complex naturalization operation for the well-being of chimpanzees
The complicated performance in The chimpanzee enclosure is the best example of this “BIOPARC” model of naturalizationEvery day, little Ekon and Cala show their vitality by exploring and playing within the largest group of the western subspecies in Spain (Pan troglodytes verus), In serious risk of disappearing.
To ensure its optimal development, a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, veterinary scientists, biologists and artists has worked for months to incorporate two impressive tree elements made of concrete, themed with great verisimilitudeto the point that many visitors are astonished to discover they are not real. Taken together, the dual challenge of addressing animal care with specialized physical components and under the comprehensive guidance of the five domains of well-being: mental state, behavior, health, nutrition and environment.
The challenge posed by the scale of the structures and the difficulty of their construction has been successfully resolvedAfter the creation phase with sketches, three-dimensional design and topographic calculations, in a specially prepared area, these two trees have been "manufactured" with an iron and mesh skeleton covered with carefully modeled and sculpted concrete to achieve the desired textures and finishes, as well as in its chromatic treatment.
Subsequently, the integration process in the area that recreates the African jungle is faced, which has required careful logistical planning and close coordination between the different teams involved. The vertical tree measures 10,5 tons, 10,5 meters high and 5 meters wide, while the horizontal one exceeds 7 tons.Both enormous objects had to be assembled in phases and moved using two large-capacity cranes for their carefully planned final placement.
Artificial trees contain many elements of environmental enrichment
Always with the vision of responsibility in animal careThese interventions are planned. In this sense, if the framework itself with the vines provides a more stimulating environment and promotes natural behaviors such as climbing and ascent, fundamental to their daily activity, its interior hides resources of Environmental enrichment designed to encourage other instincts. The “puzzle boxes”, puzzle typeTermite mounds and other nooks are feeding stations filled with food such as nuts, seeds, honey or yogurt that They even require the animals to build tools to obtain them, which prolongs the search time, encourages their mental abilities and replicates their nutrition patterns.
Ex situ conservation and in situ conservation through the BIOPARC Foundation
The work gains greater relevance because of the BIOPARC's commitment to biodiversity and the protection of the "verus" chimpanzee, listed as critically endangered. on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Following the scientific criteria of this organization, action is taken under the strategy One Plan Approach that comprehensively assesses animal populations, both those living in their natural habitat and those under human care.
In this way, the Valencian park participates significantly in the European programme (EEP) that is about ensure their survival with controlled breeding that consolidates a genetically viable “reserve” population. Parallel, the BIOPARC Foundation together with Tacugama (Sierra Leone and Guinea) are fighting to achieve connectivity of this primate's habitats, integrating biodiversity conservation with the sustainable development of local communities.
