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General Climbing Discussion

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Climbing Mediawatch 2-Nov-2011 At 2:19:55 PM grangrump

Message

On 11/10/2011 rodw wrote:
>Many a year back they tried that in a US zoo (cant remember which one)...ie
>had climbers test to see if enclosure escape proof.....they modified the
>walls until the climbers couldn't get out anymore and it was proclaimed
>escape proof...

Little Joe at Boston Zoo.
The gorilla exhibits are surrounded by moats and artificial rock walls. Before use a local climbing club was invited in: each climber was given a can of spray paint to mark any hand or toehold that they found. After a weekend of climbing, possible escape routes were identified. The builders of the artificial rock walls filed down and filled in all the the identified holds.
No gorilla escaped until 14 years later (August 2003). The zoo put in more security after Joe’s first escape but Joe got out again two months later.