Just going to throw this out there . What is the best zoo for primates ? Which zoo could do with more primates or a general improvement in their collection? What is the best individual collection for apes ? what is the best for monkeys ? Please explain why ?
Before anyone answers this in detail I think you need to clarify your questions a little. Do you mean the best zoos for the primates themselves or the best zoos for viewing (a variety of?) primates? These may not necessarily be mutually exclusive but frequently are. For instance, Paignton has pretty much all round good enclosures (for inhabitants and visitor viewing) but perhaps lacks the variety of some other places. Conversely Twycross has the best variety of (probably) monkeys and (definitely) apes to see but (new Gibbon enclosure excepted) they're generally in pretty poor enclosures. One point though, IMO the Aspinall collections have the best enclosures for Gorillas from a visitor and animal perspective (photo-obsessives may choose to disagree).
Colchester has a good collection of primates. I would like to see more primates at Africa Alive and I would love to see an ape species at Marwell and Yorkshire and possibly Banham. In terms of enclosures Chester without a doubt has the best primate facilities.
I think the best Chimpanzee exhibit, without doubt, has to be Edinburgh's Budongo Trail, for both visitors and chimps. Edinburgh has a decent monkey collection too, although the old monkey house is badly in need of updating. They have made some improvements in recent years with the likes of Living Links for Capuchin and Squirrel monkeys, the Gelada enclosure and most recently the new Barbary Macaque enclosure. I agree that Twycross probably has the best species collection, albeit with some of the poorest enclosures, again with the exception of the new Gibbon enclosure.
From what I've seen I would say the following; Edinburgh = best chimpanzee exhibit Aspinall Zoos = best gorilla exhibits Chester = best orangutan exhibits Twycross = most varied list of species Monkey World = (some) of the best gibbon exhibits, namely their forested ones I would also rate Wingham, Colchester, Bristol and London for some of their primate enclosures, as well as some of the other primate enclosures in the list above (Chester's aye-aye enclosure and monkey islands, Edinburgh's Living Links enclosure and barbary macaque enclosure, Monkey World's marmoset facilities, Twycross' gibbon and ring-tailed lemur enclosures.
Banham and Marwell have both talked about it in the past, but with no result. YWP seem the most likely to actually get Apes in the future.
I would have to agree, but would also like to propose Edinburgh's gibbon cage, emphasis on the cage, fantastic size and beautifully furnished.
If you ever do go to Edinburgh I can't recommend it enough. To those who don't know, the enclosure can house 30 chimps max, with the outdoors using a large climbing frame with metal nest baskets and dense foliage on the ground to its advantage. There are three, two-storey indoor areas at different light levels, just like how light levels would vary in the rainforest (the first is almost 100% visibility, with the others being 50% and less than 50% respectively). There are research pods that can be used for cognitive research and introductions, and the chimps have various hidden tunnels to get from one place to the next. I always try and spend as much time as I can there, and of the six or seven visits I have made to the zoo I have spent a total of two or three just with the chimps.
Can I ask a question with other dimensions i.e. what are the enclosure sizes for certain non-human primates in UK collections, like for example for chimpanzees, gibbons, African monkeys, Cebidae monkeys, and for lemurs? Is for example, aproximately 100 m2 outdoor and 30 m2 indoor enclosure common for keeping monkeys? This can be calculated from Google earth or other sky-aproach tool on net, but I can't recognise monkeys or lemur enclosures in UK zoos.
I'v been about three times over the years but not since Budongo opened. I may get a chance to go again next year. Strange how they have done such a good Chimpanzee exhibit- the previous Gorilla/Orangutan house (now the Panda enclosures) was abysmal..
You may remember the old reptile house, this is now Budongo. It is truly astounding, I would rate it as the best exhibit in the zoo (I have yet to see the new tiger enclosure, but I still do not doubt Budongo would trump it).
