Photos courtesy of Birmingham Zoo.
The Birmingham Zoo on March 25 announced the opening of the Barbara Ingalls Shook Foundation Primate Trek.
This addition to the Primates/South America building provides the zoo’s resident De Brazza’s monkeys access to a new outdoor habitat that stands free of the main building. In addition to more space for the animals, this new habitat has increased access for animal care professionals to interact with them, providing feeding and training opportunities that guests will be able to see for the first time.
According to Danielle Williams, the zoological manager of the South America/primates section of the zoo, the open-air habitat allows the De Brazza’s monkeys to have a whole new view of the zoo and its visitors as they move around the viewing path. They will also get a visual perspective of the other animals adjacent to them that they have never had, which will be very visually enriching every day. Williams said in a news release.
The habitat has been designed for flexibility and with future expansion in mind, with overhead tunnels that can connect to the other indoor habitats. This would allow for other species to use this space or even add additional outdoor habitats in the future.
“We could not be more thankful for the generous donation by the Shook Foundation and their continued support of your zoo,” Birmingham Zoo Deputy Director Hollie Colahan said in a news release. “Work on this project began before the pandemic, so we are thrilled to have a new habitat to share with our guests and see our primates enjoying this new outdoor space.”
The Shook Foundation has been a longtime supporter of the zoo, including funding for the Barbara Ingalls Shook Foundation North American Black Bear habitat and more.
Submitted by Birmingham Zoo
