Loro Parque is home to the largest group of Western Lowland gorillas in the world. The seven males live in ‘villa gorilla’, a huge enclosure that was built in 1992 when the park recreated a unique social structure with the help of the European Breeding Programme for Animals in Danger of Extinction.
Its principal objective is to ensure a greater genetic variety within the gorilla population, thus contributing to the conservation of this highly endangered species.
As with all the animals in the park, the gorillas are fed only the best fruit and vegetables and their living quarters are quite luxurious with constant ventilation and under floor heating. The gorillas are fascinating to watch. They roam around the enclosure, which also has waterfalls, rocks for them to climb on, plants, trees as well as places to shelter and hide. Watching these huge animals eat, play and communicate with each other is captivating and makes for some excellent photographs.
