Krefeld Zoo Opens Part of New Great Apes Enclosure

(eap) With the opening of the “MenschenaffenWald” (Great Ape Forest) last weekend, Krefeld Zoo celebrated the realization of the first new primate house to be implemented as part of the “AffenPark Species Conservation Center” project. The first residents are the two surviving chimpanzees “Bally” and “Limbo,” who, after the devastating fire on New Year’s Eve 2019/20, remained in their familiar surroundings with their long-time keepers in Krefeld rather than being integrated into an unfamiliar group. Since then, the animals had been housed in a non-public section of the “Gorilla Garden”; since 2022 they have also had access to their own outdoor enclosure.

© Foto: Vera Gorissen/Zoo Krefeld The new “MenschenaffenWald” provides the animals with a varied outdoor habitat featuring structures up to 14 meters high as well as several indoor areas with heights of up to eight meters. Such vertical differences are considered important for great apes, as they move in three dimensions in their natural environment. Diverse planting with hornbeams, lindens, weeping and pollarded willows invites the animals to climb and partly also serves as a source of food. A specially constructed termite mound offers the chimpanzees the opportunity to practice their skills at extracting food. In future, gorillas are also expected to move into the new area, while two crested mangabeys will likewise find a new home here. In a second phase, a house for orangutans is planned; the designs have already been completed and a building application has been submitted. Ultimately, an additional chimpanzee house will mark the completion of the overall project. ■