The Duke of Edinburgh opens 'Gorilla Kingdom' at London Zoo, 29 March 2007

The Duke of Edinburgh opens 'Gorilla Kingdom' at London Zoo, 29 March 2007

The Duke of Edinburgh has opened an important new project at London Zoo which will help with the conservation and study of gorillas. The Duke of Edinburgh meets staff responsible for the day-to-day care of the gorillas at London Zoo © Buckingham Palace Press Office His Royal Highness toured the new 'Gorilla Kingdom' complex which features grassland and shelters for a small colony of gorillas. The aim is that the colony, which currently consists of one male gorilla, Bobby, who was rescued from a circus in Italy, and two female gorillas, Effie and Zaire, will breed and grow in numbers. His Royal Highness looks out over 'Gorilla Kingdom', a new complex of grassland and shelters in which the public can view the gorillas from platforms and behind glass © Buckingham Palace Press Office 'Gorilla Kingdom' will enable visitors, in particular school groups, to view the gorillas from platforms and from behind glass, getting closer than ever before. The Duke met staff at London Zoo, including the keepers who have been helping the new arrivals to settle in. Effie, a 14-year-old female, was sent from Leipzig Zoo at the beginning of March and is still getting used to her new surroundings. One of Gorilla Kindgom's new inhabitants relaxes in her new home © Buckingham Palace Press Office Daniel Simmonds, who helps look after the primates in the zoo, spoke about how he has been making her feel at home: 'I say things in German like 'Effie you're so cute' and 'Was ist das?'. It's small pep talk. They're not cats and dogs, they're very intelligent animals. It may seem silly but it's very important.' The Duke of Edinburgh meets staff involved in the 'Gorilla Kingdom' project as well as those who have donated money © Buckingham Palace Press Office After His Royal Highness had toured the complex, Sir Patrick Bateson, President of the Zoological Society of London, which runs the zoo, thanked The Duke of Edinburgh for his involvement and said of 'Gorilla Kingdom': 'We think it will return London to one of the great zoos of the world' The Duke, a former President of the society himself, then gave a brief speech praising the pioneering work of the zoo. Mayor Ken Livingstone echoed his words and spoke of the importance of conservation given the threats posed by global warming. 'Gorilla Kingdom' is open to the general public from 30 March 2007.