What did you think of the new chimpanzee exhibit? Due to the time of year it definitely appears to be rather barren, and I suppose that many of the Monarto enclosures are "scrubland" areas of landscape. (I visited the zoo in 2007 but the chimp exhibit was only a vague plan at that time.)
The enclosure is quite large - not quite as large as Taronga's, but then they don't have 20+ chimps to accomodate. At this stage they only have the four males.
As you can see from the picture, the enclosure slopes downwards towards the front, a diverse terrain (as opposed to a generally flat one). In the middle there is a small stream flowing down to a pond. There are lots of eucalypts growing in the exhibit (mainly toward the back of the enclosure - the public get an uninterrupted view at the front) which appear undamaged despite the four chimps being in there for several months.
Barren? It has far more vegetation than Taronga's Chimp Park, and they can climb the trees here too. Some of the smaller shrubs they have planted at the front will take some time to grow in. For Sandali, this is very, very different to what he grew up in.
The indoor area is also spacious, and high. Plenty of climbing opportunities. The floor is covered in a deep layer of leaf litter.
My overall opinion is that it is very good. I could easily imagine a group of a dozen or more living here without any problems.
Hix, is the indoor area not a bit beyond what the chimps need? I wouldn't think Monarto ever gets so cold that the chimps can't be released into the exhibit during the day, so I'm a bit puzzled as to why they have an indoors gymnasium as opposed to just a sleeping chamber...
Firstly, I've not been to Monarto in Winter, so I don't know how cold it gets (but Mt Barker had an overnight low of 9ºC last week). And anyway, it's not just cold but rainy weather they might want to shelter from.
Secondly, the chimps all have access to the outside. When I was there Sandali chose to be outside and the other three chose to be inside. I don't know the history of the other chimps but they may not be as comfortable being outdoors as Sandali is.
I don't know much about Monarto's climate, but would not the chimp house also be useful on days when it is extremly hot? This enclosure doesn't appear to have a lot of shade (Eucalyptus don't give much shade I don't think). On a 40+C summer day indoor accommodation might be a bit nicer than being outside?
