Planckendael - Africa (Bonobo Island)

The outdoor island for bonobos (Pan paniscus) in the African Area in Planckendael. A 3000 m2 large and very green island with a few climbing frames spread around. There are also many shrubberies with small trees and large bushes spread around the island that the bonobos have full access to (except for one large tree that is hotwired).

Planckendael, July 2011.

@Toddy: I am thankful that you are once again uploading photos onto ZooChat, and I understand that you wish to receive many comments so that you will continue to add photos to this website. Hopefully you receive a lot of comments, and I don't think that photos that someone makes a remark on are ever purged so you might be in luck!

The indoor bonobo house seems average (but with many climbing frames) while the outdoor exhibit is certainly quite spacious and green. "What Zoos Can Do" lists the bonobos as one of the highlights of the zoo, and would you agree with that statement?

snowleopard said:

@Toddy: I am thankful that you are once again uploading photos onto ZooChat, and I understand that you wish to receive many comments so that you will continue to add photos to this website. Hopefully you receive a lot of comments, and I don't think that photos that someone makes a remark on are ever purged so you might be in luck!

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Thanks for the comments @snowleopard. I figured you would be one of the first on the scene

snowleopard said:

The indoor bonobo house seems average (but with many climbing frames) while the outdoor exhibit is certainly quite spacious and green. "What Zoos Can Do" lists the bonobos as one of the highlights of the zoo, and would you agree with that statement?

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Like I have mentioned on some of the other photos the indoor bonobo exhibit is not very aesthetically pleasing but very functional and it does seem to promote a very active group of bonobos and as a visitor you can often see them jumping about in their climbing frames at eye level. The island could do with some more climbing frames but it is well planted ensuring that neither bonobos nor visitors can see the whole island at once. It is definitely one of the major highlights!

Looking at these photos actually got me thinking: Even though this exhibit is great it is still not in the top 3 of the 10 bonobo exhibits in Europe. To me this is an indicator that the quality of bonobo exhibits in Europe is generally quite high. I have personally seen 8 of them and feel confident in giving them something of a rating (in no particular order):

Great exhibits
Leipzig Zoo (Germany)
Frankfurt Zoo (Germany)
Apenheul (The Netherlands)
La Vallée de Singes (France)

Good exhibits
Planckendael (Belgium)
Cologne Zoo (Germany)

Substandard exhibits
Berlin Zoo (Germany)
Wilhelma (Germany) (Opening new exhibit in 2012)
Wuppertal (Germany)
Twycross (UK)

hi toddy, i'm very much enjoying these photo's of Planckendael Zoo. I believe it is the national zoo of Belgium?

Also, i thought you had stopped uploading photo's too zoochat

Cat-Man said:

hi toddy, i'm very much enjoying these photo's of Planckendael Zoo. I believe it is the national zoo of Belgium?

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Actually it is just called Planckendael (formerly Planckendael Dierenpark). And I don't think you can say that Belgium has a "national zoo". However, Planckendael together with its sister zoo Antwerpen ZOO in the KMDA (Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp) are certainly the most established and well renowned of the Belgian zoos (of which there aren't many). They are also the only two Belgian members of WAZA.

Cat-Man said:

Also, i thought you had stopped uploading photo's too zoochat

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Well, I am attempting a sort of "comeback" as you can read here

Ahh, thanks toddy, I only asked if it was the National zoo because when I googled 'Brussels Zoo' this is what came up.

I'm glad you've decided to start uploading again, as I've missed your photo's of central european zoo's very much. Now to upload all those photo's that missed out

It's interesting that Brussels is one of the few major capitals in Europe not to have a zoo.

I think that Zoo Antwerpen can be seen as Belgiums National Zoo, at least so is it seen by many Belgian inhabitants.

^however, as much as antwerp is the most famours and well established zoo in belgium, it is not located in or near the capital, so it is not the national zoo.

@Shirokuma, what other capitals can you think of that done have a zoo?

Shirokuma said:

It's interesting that Brussels is one of the few major capitals in Europe not to have a zoo.

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There was a short-lived zoo in Brussels that closed in 1880; after all these years the old entrance gates still stand:-

http://www.zoochat.com/683/entrance-gates-old-brussels-zoo-14th-149598/