The Revealed

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Apr 08 2009 | By: therevealed

At the end of 2005, beginning of 2006 we prepared an unusual reality show in public service radio, Czech Radio. We started calling it Odhaleni (The Revealed). It was a reaction on a boom of container type of reality shows like Big Brother or VyVoleni (The Chosen). In the “slightly different reality show” of Czech Radio we had participants locked up in a “villa” as well. They were a group of Western Lowland Gorillas living in the pavilion of the Prague Zoo.

Richard, Shinda, Kijivu, Moja and later on Kamba as well were monitored by several cameras non-stop. Apart from live internet transmission and other internet releases and broadcast transmission, a television cut was prepared daily of the happenings in the “villa” and public voting was conducted, based on which the reality show winner was later announced (the winner won 12 melons).

The aim of the project was not only to look at a modern television format from the outside. Instead, we wanted to put across similarities and differences between the behaviour of gorillas and the behaviour of people. Next goal was to bring forward relevant information about apes and to support their protection. We also managed to unexpectedly gain highly valuable material for scientific research.

In the Czech Republic, The Revealed stirred huge interest among medias and public. Incidentally it was this interest that became the main cause of why we continued to pursue this project even after the “somewhat different reality show” finished. The cameras that are installed in the gorilla pavilion have long since been operated by volunteers via the internet…

The gorillas from Prague Zoo have become celebrities, which crowds flock to see. The project The Revealed has received a number of awards, e.g. the 2DVD of the very same name was awarded the “Wild Oscar” as the prestigious Wildscreen in Bristol.

In addition to the aforementioned DVD, a continuation of it was also made, plus a book was published on the project, and even a book of gorilla fairy tales and rhymes. The logo The Revealed even found itself on under garments.

The proceeds from these activities are intended to support the protection of western lowland gorillas living in the wild. We financially supported the rescue station in Cameroon’s Limbe. We distributed the gorilla fairy tale book successfully in Cameroon’s schools at the end of 2008 and more.

You can purchase products associated with The Revealed Project in the Radioservis internet shop. Look here .

In 2009, we will focus more dramatically on protecting western lowland gorillas living in the wild within the scope of the project The Revealed. We have become the partner of The Year of the Gorilla, launched by UNEP and WAZA.

Even now we are not abandoning the gorilla family in the Prague Zoo and live internet transmission will continue. The main feature of the project will be to provide information on gorillas in Africa, on the environment they live in, on the conservation of African nature and all other related facts. At present we are continuing with collecting resources on our collection account and we are planning other educational activities primarily aimed at African children in the near future.