The Cloud Forest house. Contains Asian Short Clawed Otters, Andean Bears, Black Howler Monkey's and Ring Tailed Coati's, as well as various free flying birds.
The Cloud Forest house. Contains Asian Short Clawed Otters, Andean Bears, Black Howler Monkey\'s and Ring Tailed Coati\'s, as well as various free flying birds.
How does the whole exhibit work? more specifically are the bears and all the others mixed (outdoor - wise)? and how big do you think the exhibit is as a whole?
The birds are confined to the indoor public walk-through. I'm not sure whether the Coatis mix with the Bears, but the single Otter runs with the Bears indoors and outdoors, and I'm sure I've seen the monkeys and Bears together outside. Jerseygorilla or Jerseylotte could probably give you more info. Overall, this is a very attractive and successful exhibit.
The birds live only in the indoor house, and are free flying. Inside, there is an empty bat enclosure. The bear's are normally just kept with the otter, though I have seen them with the other species before, but only on the side near the Reptile House. The Coati's and Howler monkey's are always on the far side of the exhibit, next to the Princess Royal Pavilion and close to the the Reptile House. The Otter is constantly moving from one side to the other, but never seems to go in the Howler Monkey/Coati bedroom. Not sure on the exhibit sizes, but they are a reasonable size.
Last summer the Monkeys spent a lot of time on the other side of the house ie the enclosure nearest the zoo entrance, and I'm almost sure I saw the Bears out with them. These Monkeys, along with White-naped Cranes, Gibbons & Ruffed Lemurs, are one of the 'sounds' of the Zoo.
I think the exhibit first opened in 1999, was called 'First Impressions', and was built on the old Cheetah and Babirusa enclosures. Nowadays, the exhibit seems to be called 'the Cloud Forest' and not 'First Impressions'. As for the indoor part, there are two floors. The top floor which you enter just has an empty enclosure that used to house bats, and a small viewing window for the side that usually contains Howler Monkeys and Coatis. There is still the spiral staircase to get down to the bears, but also a lift. On the bottom floor there is two indoor viewing areas, one for the Andean Bears and Otter, and one for the Howler Monkeys and Ring Tailed Coatis. There is also free flying birds.
