Edutainment at Leipzig Zoo: VR Immerses into Rwanda Rainforest

© Photo: Zoo Leipzig (eap) At the gateway to the great ape enclosure “Pongoland” at Leipzig Zoo, visitors can now get particularly close to mountain gorillas – this is made possible by the new Virtual Reality experience “Gorilla Trek”, which immerses guests into the rainforest of Rwanda. In the virtual world, visitors can observe a gorilla family in their natural environment and listen to the explanations of primatologist Dr Tara Stoinski, President and Scientific Director of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. After the VR experience, the visitor trail continues to the Pongoland facility, where all four great ape species of the world live together under one roof.

Leipzig Zoo Director Prof Jörg Junhold explains: “We understand ourselves as a bridge between the urban world and the natural habitats of fascinating but highly endangered animal species. Experiencing the gorillas in Rwanda is the dream of many nature fans, but only very few can actually experience this. With our new virtual reality experience, we want to make these fascinating encounters with the endangered mountain gorillas virtually possible for our guests right here. Anyone who looks the ‘silverback’ in the eye and feels like helping the young animals to climb will never forget why this fragile environment and its creatures are so worth protecting.”

The virtual reality experience was realised by the US company Immotion, which is cooperating with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation and wants to support it in its work to preserve the mountain gorillas. According to its own statement, the company’s aim is to use VR films to impart knowledge, entertain and inspire visitors through the uniqueness of nature. “We are congruent with this philosophy. As a zoo in the 21^st century, we take on many social tasks in the areas of education and the coexistence of generations as well as nature and species conservation. With the new program, we want to offer another perspective for learning more about the protection of endangered species,” concludes Junhold. ■