Baboon Exhibit at Madrid Zoo Aquarium, 26/05/11

I\\\'ve seen some hybrid-y looking baboons in my time, but these are something else - evidence certainly of Hamadryas and Olive Baboon ancestry, and hints of Yellow as well. Wouldn\\\'t be at all surprised to find Guinea and Chacma elements as well! A very lively exhibit though.

There are certainly some nice, natural-looking exhibits at Madrid Zoo but they are contrasted rather vividly by the many enclosures that are basically slabs of concrete with a few tree limbs tossed into the mix. I particularly like the hoofstock stadiums!

There's certainly a concrete motif running through the zoo - sometimes to better effect than others. This is not one of the more attractive ones!

But still a nice enclosure for the animals.

Animal said:

But still a nice enclosure for the animals.

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They were certainly making the most of it - one of the most active (and noisy!) groups I've seen in a while.

The moat is now dry. Before it had some water, and the baboons would wade in it. I saw baboons swing down those poles like firemen. Unlike other strange concrete structures designed at the madrid zoo by sculptor architect Jose maria Subirachs in 1972,which seem very unusual as animal exhibits, this enclousure was really utilized actively by the baboons there.