Now @Moebelle what did you think of this new exhibit complex in general. Did this new addition seem to meet your expectations, or did you think that it was the complete opposite up to the point of where you could have speculated on what the zoo could have done better with the exhibit instead.
@Austin the Sengi I didn't exactly have any expectations for this one, after the Sea Lion Sound, I've had a good amount of confidence in Saint Louis to continue knocking their newer projects out of the park.... and then I remembered the slight flop with the Polar Bear Point. But considering the primates lived in (and in a way still do) basically 44 year old concrete tanks, I don't see how they could've gone wrong. When you bring their former homes into the conversation, I imagine the primates are ecstatic to live in a more natural environment. That being said, I only have one nitpick - half of the enclosures are a bit bare, which is normal for new exhibits with new vegetation. On the other hand, I applaud the zoo for building the nets around existing mature trees, grass, and bushes for the other half of the habitats. So you're actually elevated inside a not so dense, but still real forest. It's sort of poetic that the habitats are so futuristic looking and they're painted against such a historic building. From a visitor's perspective, this is one of those attractions you could describe with the line, "it's not just an exhibit, it's an experience." There's an overwhelming amount of overhead tunnels set at different heights and lengths - at first it's hard to tell where the animals will end up. It's quite obvious the Canopy Trails was designed for children, and based on the swarm of families that occupied the play zone, it worked. I don't think it will win any awards but general zoo guests and zoo enthusiasts will love it.
After doing a bit more research and looking over my footage, heres a few more facts I found.
- Based on the different animal signage by the larger habitats, the Tamarins and Marmosets (Cotton-top, Golden Lion, Goeldi's) will only occupy the first two smaller habitats connected to the building. Their signage is missing by the large enclosures.
- Even though they have a whole new indoor complex, filled with plenty of indoor stalls to accommodate the primates during the winter, they will still use the Primate House during the colder months.
- There are 70 possible rotational combinations.
- The zoo's site and photos of the complex shows Black-and-white ruffed lemurs, yet I saw no sign of them. Literally no sign or the animals themselves.
- There are still two current Primate House residents that were not signed and may not get outdoor access: The two-toed sloth, and Geoffroy's marmoset.
