Lincoln Park Zoo Macaque Forest

  • Thread starter Thread starter JVM
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JVM

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The new Regenstein Macaque Forest opened at LPZ this week. Has anyone gone to see the exhibit yet and do they have anything to say about it? From what little I've seen and read, it looks to be well-received.

I'm hoping to visit sometime in May or June but April is looking very busy.
 
Are you still in Chicago? If I had a free zoo I would just stroll in whenever I choose.

LPZ has a website up and there is a 360 view from inside the exhibit. You get to see all the stuff exhibit designers hide from the visitors too.
Regenstein Macaque Forest
 
Otter Lord said:
LPZ has a website up and there is a 360 view from inside the exhibit. You get to see all the stuff exhibit designers hide from the visitors too.
Regenstein Macaque Forest
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. There is a lot of dominant hotwire around the grassy areas but overall it seems like an impressive exhibit. That is what you get for $15 million.:)
 
snowleopard said:
Thanks for the link. There is a lot of dominant hotwire around the grassy areas but overall it seems like an impressive exhibit. That is what you get for $15 million.:)
Click to expand...

I actually don't detect any hotwire in the images. What might look like "hot grass" is largely deciduous barberry, a shrub that has proven to be able to survive in snow monkey exhibits elsewhere and that should leaf out and provide a more vegetated feel to the groundplane. Given that the monkeys can climb on the mesh tent and drop down into any part of the exhibit would render a low hotgrass barrier pretty pointless anyway. The few birch trees planted in the exhibit may have their trunks protected electrically, but it's not visible to me if they are.

It is a very nice exhibit.
 
reduakari said:
I actually don't detect any hotwire in the images. What might look like "hot grass" is largely deciduous barberry, a shrub that has proven to be able to survive in snow monkey exhibits elsewhere and that should leaf out and provide a more vegetated feel to the groundplane. Given that the monkeys can climb on the mesh tent and drop down into any part of the exhibit would render a low hotgrass barrier pretty pointless anyway. The few birch trees planted in the exhibit may have their trunks protected electrically, but it's not visible to me if they are.

It is a very nice exhibit.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, as I studied the link again and the barberry does appear to look like "hot grass" but obviously isn't on closer inspection. There are some darker patches of turf that I assumed were hotwired (perhaps temporarily) but knowing that there is a lack of hotwire is a relief. Also, none of the birch trees seem to have their trunks protected either and my overall impression is of an excellent primate habitat. Japanese Macaques (aka Snow Monkeys) are always a delight to see in a zoo and it will be great to see the species expand across America. Zoos like Great Plains, Blank Park, Milwaukee County, Lincoln Park and Minnesota (in the future) will help provide a solid foundation to maintaining the species in captivity.
 
Are you still in Chicago? If I had a free zoo I would just stroll in whenever I choose.
Click to expand...
I live a little further out from the city and school eats up a lot of the ideal zoo hours one way or another, but hoping to increase my visits this summer, especially with the excitement of this new exhibit and more to come.

Japanese Macaques (aka Snow Monkeys) are always a delight to see in a zoo and it will be great to see the species expand across America. Zoos like Great Plains, Blank Park, Milwaukee County, Lincoln Park and Minnesota (in the future) will help provide a solid foundation to maintaining the species in captivity.
Click to expand...
I've noticed despite the exhibit title, LPZ has really focused on the 'Snow Monkey' moniker in local news coverage, I suppose under the assumption the average Joe won't know what a macaque is. I know Brookfield Zoo has also been considering Japanese macaques for the former Baboon Island after a renovation.
 
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