An 844-square-foot mural, which depicts the lush vegetation of a rain forest, has been completed in the chimpanzee exhibit in the Great Apes Building at Hogle Zoo.
Made possible by a donation from Kennecott Utah Copper Corp., the mural provides a more aesthetically pleasing exhibit for the chimpanzees and zoo visitors.Zoo graphic artist Jay Weston and his assistant Mike Romney began work on the mural in July. Latex and acrylic paint was used for the mural, and a protective sealer was applied to prevent flaking and to protect the animals.
"The chimps (are) keenly aware of the mural," said primate supervisor Robert Pratt. " `Happy,' a male chimp, even tried to grab a limb of a tree . . . and was somewhat bewildered when he couldn't get it. (The chimps have been) touching the walls and (seem) stimulated by the view."
The chimps were moved to a different exhibit while the mural was being painted. Because of the rough texture of the exhibit walls, an airbrush was used to paint the majority of the mural.