Paignton Zoo news at Paignton zoo
- Thread starter Pertinax
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Yes, I think you are referring to different cages- possibly that was their 'quarantine' area, I don't know. I always found Paignton's old Monkey House a very interesting place- I can't say the same for its replacement 'Monkey Heights'- although the animals are obviously a lot better off spatially I think its a weird idea that they're prevented(?still?) from using the big Plane trees in the enclosures(obviously to stop them damaging them) and are restricted to low level climbing frames underneath.
I would have sited 'Monkey Heights' near some of their natural woodland to make better enclosures and feel they wasted an opportunity to do something really good here..
Gigit
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Also because when the monkeys were first rehoused there, some of them found they could exit the enclosures via the trees!
Do you know if the original intention was to let them use the trees?(before that was discovered)
I do like Paignton but feel 'Monkey Heights' is rather a white elephant, probably my least favourite new building around the UK zoos in recent years.
Mandrills- ISIS currently list 3.3 for Paignton -does that mean the 'odd' female has left?
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
I haven't seen monkey heights myself, but if the escapes were unforeseen then it does smack of poor planning.....if protection is the issue then frankly that is ridiculous for Paignton to protect a non-native ornamental tree species from its endangered primates, while if as I suspect from what is said on here it turned out that the monkeys could escape, then they should cut back the branches to allow access. It must be extremely frustrating to live in little hotwired paddocks under trees you cannot access. That said, I have seen photographs of the indoor areas and these are a vast improvement, the worst aspect of the old house was the indoor housing, especially its height.
Incidentally, Paignton seem to have listed two variegated spider monkeys on ISIS of late, does anyone know where they are kept, and are there plans to establish a breeding group at some point? So many zoos seem to house the most odd combination of non-breeding and hybrid spider monkeys, but I'm guessing the variegated is so critically endangered that paignton is planning to create a breeding situation?
Incidentally, Paignton seem to have listed two variegated spider monkeys on ISIS of late, does anyone know where they are kept, and are there plans to establish a breeding group at some point? So many zoos seem to house the most odd combination of non-breeding and hybrid spider monkeys, but I'm guessing the variegated is so critically endangered that paignton is planning to create a breeding situation?
That is exactly how I see it- it seems a very weird design to me. Here they had a chance to do what Howletts/Port Lympne have done and give them semi-natural enclosures. The enclosures are spacious enough and the indoors are fine- rather bland but roomy- but I just think this complex is in totally the wrong setting within the zoo though.
Can't help you on the Spider Monkeys, perhaps Gigit can...
That enclosure is in a very 'out of the way' location. I first stumbled on it during one visit and the next time I could not find it again...
Gigit
Well-Known Member
Monkey Heights
I think Monkey Heights is a vast improvement on the old monkey house. I don't like the area where there are constant animal noises and buttons for children to press and wonder why you would have the sound of a colobus predator next to the colobus enclosure. I don't know if the monkeys find it as objectionable as I do - at least I can walk away from it.
I'm not sure about the trees and whether they planned for the monkeys to use them. The escapees were able to get out along the branches onto the walkway and the branches were then cut back. I would have to check whether there were teething problems with the baffles round the trees or the climbing frames being too close to the branches...... It opened in spring when there would have been leaves on the trees - when they were building it the trees would have been bare and not so wide spread.
I think Monkey Heights is a vast improvement on the old monkey house. I don't like the area where there are constant animal noises and buttons for children to press and wonder why you would have the sound of a colobus predator next to the colobus enclosure. I don't know if the monkeys find it as objectionable as I do - at least I can walk away from it.
I'm not sure about the trees and whether they planned for the monkeys to use them. The escapees were able to get out along the branches onto the walkway and the branches were then cut back. I would have to check whether there were teething problems with the baffles round the trees or the climbing frames being too close to the branches...... It opened in spring when there would have been leaves on the trees - when they were building it the trees would have been bare and not so wide spread.
Well, either that or ISIS is incorrect(not unheard of) If she has gone I'd be very interested to know where - if you can put on your deerstalker hat once more....
Undoubtedly. I just think it was a bit of a lost opportunity to do something even better. Have you ever seen Howlett's/Port Lympne new primate enclosures? Basically they have hotwired chunks of secondary woodland or areas with several mature trees and built the enclosures around them, and the monkeys can access(virtually) everything. They are really excellent.
I felt Paignton could have done similar as there is undeveloped woodland in the zoo though not in a central location.
Gigit
Well-Known Member
I take your point about Monkey Heights. Maybe putting monkeys in the woods was a bit too ambitious for them. They had a large space when the old stables were demolished and presumably the old monkey house was next on the list to be replaced.
It's not easy to view the pileated gibbons. Their house is behind the barriers that contain queues for the train, so unless you join the queue in the summer or go past a 'no entry' sign in the winter, you miss them. Looking through the annual review for 20004/2005, I see that Cosmo, a 43 year old pileated gibbon, died in that year. He would have been one of the gibbons in the old monkey house. He never bred.
Deerstalker at the ready but I don't know if I'll get away with the pipe
It's not easy to view the pileated gibbons. Their house is behind the barriers that contain queues for the train, so unless you join the queue in the summer or go past a 'no entry' sign in the winter, you miss them. Looking through the annual review for 20004/2005, I see that Cosmo, a 43 year old pileated gibbon, died in that year. He would have been one of the gibbons in the old monkey house. He never bred.
Deerstalker at the ready but I don't know if I'll get away with the pipe
I take your point about Monkey Heights. Maybe putting monkeys in the woods was a bit too ambitious for them. They had a large space when the old stables were demolished and presumably the old monkey house was next on the list to be replaced.
Looking through the annual review for 20004/2005, I see that Cosmo, a 43 year old pileated gibbon, died in that year. He would have been one of the gibbons in the old monkey house. He never bred.
Deerstalker at the ready but I don't know if I'll get away with the pipe
Yes, I realised that Monkey Heights was to replace the old stable block. I actually thought it was going to be more a general 'Mammals' House whereas it turned out to be a Monkey House with just a few small mammals.
The indoor displays and walkways are fine, it is the outside enclosures that are rather a disappointment to me. I presume the Monkeys still can't access the Plane trees?
Sounds like Cosmo was the Pileated gibbon I used to see in the old house and they've since aquired a new pair.
best forget the deerstalker and cape- too obvious among the throngs of holidaymakers.
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Cosmo the pileated gibbon
Cosmo came to Paignton from Penscynor where he lived for many years . Much of the time he lived tethered at the waist attached to a chain in a tree with a small shelter - hope that description of the set-up makes sense . I seem to remember other gibbons lived like that also . Anybody else remember this ?
Cosmo came to Paignton from Penscynor where he lived for many years . Much of the time he lived tethered at the waist attached to a chain in a tree with a small shelter - hope that description of the set-up makes sense . I seem to remember other gibbons lived like that also . Anybody else remember this ?
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
I think in the 70s penscynor had primates all over the place, I have a guidebook from when I visited in the early 80s which showed 'cosmo' on a leash being fed by the owners, as well as them playing with free-ranging woolly monkeys. They also had a free-flying great hornbill until it was killed by a badger. I assume the practice of free-roaming primates was ended by th time I visited. However, they have just built an 'alpine toboggan slide', and this was advertised using a child sliding down it holding a juvenile chimpanzee.
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