Thanks for your photos! Will there be free-flying birds reintroduced into this rainforest complex once the orangutans and gibbons are settled in their exhibits? What other species will be present here?
Two other primate species will certainly return, gibbons (presumably white-cheeked) and black crested macaques. The guide also confirmed hornbills and hill mynas.
There has been no confirmation on the return of the otters (although the fencing around the fifth island suggest that the otters might return to that areas). The guide unfortunately did not know what bird species will return and where they will be housed.
I don't know either whether the greenhouse is still equipped for housing free-ranging birds, although there would be some available space and the primates being in cage structures could possibly allow for free-ranging birds.
@KevinB That means Planckendael will have built new exhibits for FIVE primate species in the past decade: bonobos, orangutans, Barbary macaques, black-crested macaques and some type of gibbon. Impressive!
Having 5 islands of primate habitats reminds me a little of Apenheul's setup with orangutans, and your photos make it seem that there will be plenty of climbing opportunities for the monkeys and apes on the various islands.
When I visited in 2019, I saw some mammal exhibits inside the Tropical House. Northern Luzon giant cloud rats, Prevost's squirrels, common black rats, northern tree shrews and pygmy slow lorises were all there. It would be a bit of a shame if none of them returned to the zoo when this project is complete.
@snowleopard The only space that I think would still be available for small mammals would be the former hornbill aviary, if it isn't going to used to house birds again. The subterranean area were the small mammal and python exhibits used to be has been almost completely absorbed by the off-show areas with holding and training cages for the primates, all that remains of it is the cave entrance/exit with the creepy Asian artwork that will become a bird shelter for the new aviary. Personally I do think the former hornbill aviary would be nice for something like cloud rats, squirrels or cuscus, perhaps mixed with mouse deer. Or of course some kind of avian inhabitant.
