Singapore Zoo Water Moat Barriers

T

The KCZooman

Well-Known Member
Hello Everyone

I just got a new book called "The Singapore Zoological Gardens: A Tropical Garden For Animals", and I was very interested in some of the pictures inside. I saw some pictures of water moat enclosures with black spider monkeys and gibbons and there was no visible guardrails between the visitors and the water. Has there been any incidents with these exhibits and if not how were they avoided.

Your responses will be greatly appreciated.
 
I don't know the answer to your question but I guess that they have had few incidents or otherwise barriers would now be in place. No doubt lawyers in Singapore don't chase ambulances to the same extent that they do in Australia.

So what really amazes me is the number of parks in Australia that allow unrestricted access to water features - lakes, ponds, billabongs etc.
 
Peopl occasionally slip into water moats surrounding primates, usually because they just get too close. The water at the edge however is usally shallow enough for even a very small child to stand in. They would have to jump a fair distance to be in trouble.
 
Thank you guys for the info. I'm wanting to know if there were any incidents involving people swiming to the islands or the primates escaping from their habitats. If not, I was wondering if this exhibit could be duplicated in western zoos.
 
Hi KCZooman,

I've heard of at least one gibbon escape in the past, but the ape had jumped out rather than swam. For the spider monkeys, i've never heard of any escapes. For primate species which are more likely to wade, like macaques, hot-wire is put up mid-way along the moat.

I haven't come across any reported incidents of visitors intentionally crossing water moats at the Singapore Zoo (except for the unfortunate incident in 2008 when a suicidal man jumped into the tigers' moat). Many of water moats for primate islands at the Zoo are at most waist high (some like the spider monkey moat is only knee high) - which makes accidental drowning less likely.

It is requirement now for deeper pools /moats at the Zoo to have rope ladders and life rings located nearby.

Perhaps Asians in general (and I am really generalising :) ) are less likely to do "crazy" stunts.
 
Apes cant actually swim without the assitance of floatation devices. Muscle does not float, fat does. Apes are generally too lean. I believe spider monkeys can be taught to swim.
 
In addition I have not heard of visitors swimming to primate islands but too often visitors throw items on to islands or in to the water.
 
Hi,


We have had some experiences in Brazil with Spider Monkeys swimming off form theier islands in some zoos, 2 years ago for example a Ateles marginatus at Recife Zoo attacked a girl with Down Syndrome after swimming 10 meters for get out of the Island!


Some zoos got bad experiences with Golden Headed Lion Tamarins that also learned to swimm!

Cheers,

Eduardo.
 
eduardo_Brazil said:
Hi,


We have had some experiences in Brazil with Spider Monkeys swimming off form theier islands in some zoos, 2 years ago for example a Ateles marginatus at Recife Zoo attacked a girl with Down Syndrome after swimming 10 meters for get out of the Island!


Some zoos got bad experiences with Golden Headed Lion Tamarins that also learned to swimm!

Cheers,

Eduardo.
Click to expand...

Hi Eduardo,

I've seen the video of the spider monkey attack you mentioned. Very unfortunate and vicious. Interesting to note that the spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps) moat at Singapore Zoo is only around 5 metres wide. But there is hot-wire just above the water-line along the middle of the moat.

When forced by circumstances, I believe most primate species (except apes, as Jarkari has explained) are able to swim, at least for a short distance.
 
Zooish said:
Hi Eduardo,

I've seen the video of the spider monkey attack you mentioned. Very unfortunate and vicious. Interesting to note that the spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps) moat at Singapore Zoo is only around 5 metres wide. But there is hot-wire just above the water-line along the middle of the moat.

When forced by circumstances, I believe most primate species (except apes, as Jarkari has explained) are able to swim, at least for a short distance.
Click to expand...

Hi,

This female specially never was in the moat before and for the first time she tried it, she got out and attacked the visitors. But this behavior was due that they got very stressed by the children that where in the front of the island making noise.

The Island is not good with climbing structures, trees, no holding house, etc, there was no other way only swimming out!

This island in Recife dont have any other barrier only water!

We keep Ateles paniscus only with electric fence and works very well.
 
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