Lego City Jungle Explorer Baby Gorilla Encounter Polybag 30665 Review

Today we will be taking a closer look at the LEGO City Baby Gorilla Encounter set number 30665. This set came out in 2024, has 34 pieces, and was designed for people 5 and up.

The Baby Gorilla Encounter is a set from the Jungle Exploration series. This is a subtheme of LEGO City. Which makes sense, since gorillas are not typically running around an urban area. For this polybag; we have a Medic Minifigure, approaching a lone baby gorilla in the jungle. We can assume that our baby gorilla was separated from its troop and needs help. The medic slowly approaches with food and formula as he attempts to get the baby gorilla away from the poisonous magenta frog. LEGO did not give a story with this set, so I got to make that up based on the set images and build.

Veterinarian Minifigure

In the strictest use of the word, the veterinarian with his walkie-talkie is an original minifigure. However, that is only because of the dark tan open backpack that he is wearing to carry the light aqua baby bottle. The character itself appears in two other Jungle Exploration sets. The dark tan cargo pants with pockets, the sand blue vest jacket over a white shirt with orange stripe, the single sided head piece and black tousled hair with long bangs are the exact same pieces used to create the other minifigures. The same design is also used for the Medic Minifigure found in 4 of the Arctic Explorer sets. Although, that series had the colors of his clothes better match the icy environment of the theme. I do love the printing on the torso piece. Especially that stethoscope and electronic device sticking out of his pocket. The goatee on the face is fantastic! It adds a lot of personality to the minifigure. I like the fact that this character can be found working in different natural environments. It helps show that the Jungle Exploration sets are part of the larger Explorer theme that opens up the natural world to LEGO builders.

Accessories

None of his accessories are rare. The baby bottle with handle is available in 69 sets. I was a bit surprised that despite being around since 2015, this piece only comes in a light aqua color. In case the baby gorilla is not thirsty but hungry, the vet also has a bright green plant stem with a bar. This piece has been around since 1999 and is often used as a carrot top or part of a larger plant. To call for backup he’s got his trusty walkie-talkie with a detailed grille. This piece has been around since 2011 and is also extremely common.

Baby Gorilla

The baby gorilla is the reason I bought this polybag. The cute infant creature piece was only available in this polybag and the much bigger and much much much more expensive Jungle Explorer Helicopter set. My favorite part of this piece is the head. The small ears give it an animal appearance but the dark bluish grey face brings it to life. Those adorable eyes, distinct nose and cute mouth are amazing. Although, having the baby gorilla crossing its legs and resting its hand in front gives the impression of a statue rather than a living animal. My first thought when seeing this baby gorilla sitting on the 2X2 round dark tan tile piece in the jungle build was that of a statue. Specifically, I saw Indiana Jones removing it from a pedestal.

Jungle Setting Build

The jungle setting is a very small environment and able to fit onto a 6X6 dark green corner plate. With the light bluish grey 1X2 brick with bar handle and 1X2 plate with vertical clip on the sides of the build, we know it is designed to attach to the other Jungle Explorer sets to create a larger setting. Here, a tree is growing on top of a small rock outcropping. The rock base is a simple build using a dark bluish grey 2X2 corner wedge and three 2X2 bricks. With a dark tan tile on top, I assume this is softer soil for the infant to sit on. The tree looks amazing, despite being built with so few pieces. Angling two of the 1X3X2 inverted arches away from each other creates the perfect effect for the large tree trunk. The curved slope on one end helps smooth out the root going into the ground. I like how the dark brown slopes add more contrast to the natural colors of the tree and surrounding ground. At the top, a single 6X5 swordleaf was attached to a dark green 1X1 round tile with a bar and pinholder to create the tree canopy. To build the dense jungle vegetation three bright light orange 1X1 round plates with 5 petal flower edges are attached to three green 1X1 round plates with 3 layered leaves. These plants were then placed throughout the set. I love how the sand green 1X2 round plates give the illusion of moss growing in this lush jungle environment. The type of pieces and different shades of coloring bring this plastic set to life. The magenta frog piece sitting front and center lets us know this is a jungle with lots of animals. It also adds a color variation that pops from the rest of the set.

Conclusion

This was an amazing polybag. The use of pieces and colors to create a small jungle environment highlight the skill and creative minds of LEGO’s design team. The polybag is a nice sample of what people can expect from the rest of the Jungle Exploration theme sets. I like that the minifigure character choice matches the larger Exploration theme, I love the baby gorilla and it’s a nice selection of pieces in a variety of colors.

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