An attractive decoration and the enormous cake surprised the birthday girl and her family who enjoyed this environmental enrichment included in the animal welfare protocols.
Ten years have passed since the Virunga gorilla He came into the world and, since then, It represents hope and commitment with the preservation of their species.
La BIOPARC Foundation It carries out valuable work in the African rainforests and the BIOPARCs of Fuengirola (with the recent birth of Ernie 8 months ago) and Valencia take care of the largest group in Spain and the second largest in Europe, with its significant involvement in the international conservation program (EEP) of western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).
To commemorate this anniversary, the biology team has prepared a real “wild party” for the whole gorilla family with a big birthday cake made with their favorite fruits and vegetables.
To make the surprise even greater, the unique multi-species enclosure they share with another critically endangered primate, the white-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus lunulatusse), it has decorated for the occasion with the numbers that made up the “10”, gelatin “sweets” star-shaped, skewers of orange, pineapple and watermelon and refreshing ice creamsVirunga and her mother Nalani were the first to approach and taste the "feast," which her younger brothers Pepe and Felix also especially enjoyed.
Many people who were visiting BIOPARC have been able to witness this activity that allows to focus on the situation of the gorillas and which falls within the animal welfare protocols as part of the environmental enrichments.
The BIOPARC Foundation and the Fuengirola and Valencia parks are calling for the saving of the critically endangered western lowland gorilla and play a leading role in its conservation, housing the largest group in Spain and the second largest in Europe.
The western lowland gorilla is listed in critically endangered according to the Red List from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the birthday girl's name is a tribute to Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo), a true sanctuary for these great primates and one of the most emblematic natural spaces on the African continent for the preservation of biodiversity.
new conservation strategies such as One Plan Approach (single-plan approach) raise the need for a global and coordinated intervention of the populations of these species for ensure their survival. BIOPARCs follow these scientific criteriaacting both ex situ in the parks of Fuengirola y Valencia jointly housing a group of 16 gorillas, as in situ through BIOPARC Foundationwhich also has the support of BIOPARC Gijón Aquarium. In this sense, support for institutions like the Wildlife Conservation Society in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park of the Congo rainforests, a key refuge for wildlife, from gorillas to forest elephants, bongos, red buffalo, chimpanzees, river geese and more than 400 types of birds.
