The brand-new Gorilla Trek Virtual Reality (VR) Experience has debuted at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. Visitors may get up close and personal with the threatened species of mountain gorillas of Africa’s Volcanoes National Park thanks to the display.
Visitors will experience trekking through the verdant woods of Rwanda in order to get a sneak peek at mountain gorillas without stepping out of the Zoo, per the press release.
Gorilla Trek VR at the OKC Zoo will transport guests on a simulated adventure as they take in a 360-degree live action movie with movement console seating for a fresh look at nearly extinct mountain gorillas in their natural surroundings in Rwanda. Gorilla Trek VR was created by Immotion, the global leader in immersive educational content.
As Dr. Tara Stoinski, the Executive Director and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, leads Immotion’s commendable VR team through the familial relationships of these amazing and critically-endangered animals that share 98 percent of human genes, visitors to the exhibit can travel through the deep realms of Volcanoes National Park.
Chief Operating Officer of the OKC Zoo, Trevor Leonard, said that along with Immotion, the company is thrilled to present this exciting new experience to the Zoo. Using cutting-edge technology and environmental instruction, this adventure gives visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a deeper appreciation for the plight of wildlife species and the need to do whatever it takes to preserve them.
Gorilla Trek VR is available on all days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday within the Great EscApe Building of the zoo. $8 per person plus zoo entry has to be paid to access it.
The installation provides a 7-minute, 360-degree VR experience that visitors may experience using their own headgear, movement chairs, and realistic audio. It’s only available to visitors who are at least 36″ in height and can wear headphones. Visitors under the age of 13 need an adult companion.
The OKC Zoo is dedicated to helping maintain wild gorilla numbers and their environment, and is now the residence of two groups of Western lowland gorillas, i.e., one family troop and another bachelor troop.
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGF) is a legacy conservation collaborator of the OKC Zoo, and the Zoo’s contributions help maintain the Karisoke Research Center, where DFGF’s field operations are headquartered.
The OKC Zoo’s Eco-Cell Recycling Program accepts donations of used cell phones as well as other technological devices from gorilla enthusiasts. Coltan is a component in many mobile phones and other portable gadgets. Gorillas and their environments are in danger due to coltan exploitation. Via the Eco-recycling Cell’s process, obsolete smart phones are discarded in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the environment.
In underdeveloped nations, new cell phones are repaired and sold. The market for new mobile phones worldwide is reduced by this process.
Smartphones and other devices may be given to the Zoo at any time of the year during normal opening hours at the Guest Services office. Interested participants can find more information regarding the programme and accepted products by visiting the Zoo’s website.
