The small open enclosure south east of the Elephant and Rhino Pavilion was built in 1922 as a racoon enclosure and used for red pandas before passing to mongooses. It consists of a grassy mound within a reinforced concrete octagonal retaining wall. This wall has an inwardly splayed upper lip to prevent escape. An ailanthus tree at the centre of the mound was uprooted in the destructive storm of October 1987.
Demolished and area used for the new Children's Zoo in 1995.
The Michael Sobell Pavilions for Apes and Monkeys replaced a Monkey House of 1926 - the successor to several earlier buildings - as well as Decimus Burton's 1820s terrace which led from the main gate. First plans were drawn up by Franz Stengelhofen in 1966, but these were abandoned as costly and unsuitable. It was built 1970-72, benefaction from Sir Michael Sobell; brief by Dr M R Brambell, Curator of Mammals; John Toovey and Jonathan Myles, architects; Anthony Hunt Associates, engineers; Trollope and Colls (City) Limited, building contractors.
It was partly demolished and reopened with Gorilla Kingdom in 2007.
