Best Spider Monkey enclosure in the Benelux

[felis silvestris]

This is just a bit of fun to judge the general consensus on the best enclosure for Spider Monkeys in the Benelux. I have added a few photos from the gallery to make it easier for members to compare the different exhibits. If anyone wants to make an argument for a particular enclosure, please feel free to do so. Also, I would encourage people to list the enclosures in order of what they think is best.

Antwerp (Black)

Apenheul (Black)

Best (Black)

Emmen (Black)

Zie-Zoo (Black)

Artis (Red Faced)

Gaia (Red Faced)

Overloon (Red Faced)

Photo credits to @KevinB @vogelcommando @Canihelpyou? @Kalaw @Mr Gharial @snowleopard

 

[Mr Gharial]

I should note that Wildlands has two islands of similar size, the second island being a little more forested. They also have a small outdoor section behind the scenes, but I assume that's just a cage-type enclosure to give the animals some fresh air if they want it.

GaiaZOO's enclosure is beautiful and wonderfully forested, but my vote goes to Apenheul, as they have the largest enclosure and a lot of live foliage in addition to great climbing structures!

 

[snowleopard]

Apenheul all the way, as the exhibit there is outstanding.

 

[PossumRoach]

Zie-Zoo (Black)

Have the monkeys finally been transferred there yet? Or are they still in the narrow cage in the old park/garden area?

For my answer I only saw Zie-Zoo, Apenheul, and Artis in person. I agree with snowleopard that Apenheul is the best in the bunch. For me it is the “giant” troop this zoo is able display unlike other zoos I have seen in my life where I barely even remember seeing spider monkey troops that reach a population with double digits. I say giant in quotation marks because that is the normal group size in the wild making the apenheul population more real than monogamous family groups and the such.

 

[ZooTripper365]

Is Zie Zoo under construction!!!???? If not that could be one of the worst zoo exhibits I've ever seen! It looks like a floating playground!

 

[MennoPebesma]

Have the monkeys finally been transferred there yet? Or are they still in the narrow cage in the old park/garden area?

The spider monkeys are still in their old enclosure indeed. The photo shows the future enclosure that should be in use by 2024/2025. The picture below is their current enclosure:

Photo credits: @vogelcommando

Is Zie Zoo under construction!!!???? If not that could be one of the worst zoo exhibits I've ever seen! It looks like a floating playground!

It opens in 2024/2025, so they are still working on it. But I believe that the concept of squared floating islands with playground constructions on it is not going to change much.

 

[PossumRoach]

The spider monkeys are still in their old enclosure indeed. The photo shows the future enclosure that should be in use by 2024/2025. The picture below is their current enclosure:

I guess this is the picture that should have been used in the OP then…

 

[felis silvestris]

I guess this is the picture that should have been used in the OP then…

Apologies, I thought that since photos were taken about a year ago, that they’d be done by now.

 

[Anteater Shrub]

Is Zie Zoo under construction!!!???? If not that could be one of the worst zoo exhibits I've ever seen! It looks like a floating playground!

I have to disagree! It has a sense of modern art to it and adds colour to the bleak lake backdrop Zie Zoo gets my vote!!!!

 

[Mr Gharial]

I have to disagree! It has a sense of modern art to it and adds colour to the bleak lake backdrop

Islands with live plants and grass would also have added some nice colour, and looking like modern art isn't exactly a feature in favour to the Monkeys welfare

 

[ZooTripper365]

@Anteater Shrub modern art is nice but has no place in a zoo!

 

[Anteater Shrub]

Zie Zoo is a mixed exhibit! Surely that's a brownie point

 

[Mr Gharial]

Zie Zoo is a mixed exhibit! Surely that's a brownie point

Is it? Because I'm pretty sure they're not. Besides, Apenheul, Wildlands and Artis are all Mixed exhibits too

 

[Anteater Shrub]

There are birds in the indoor area. The others are just plain and don't offer anything different! Also there's a paddleboard, is this for enrichment?

 

[Mr Gharial]

There are birds in the indoor area.

That's because it's an old photo . Back when the exhibit was still used by Hornbills

 

[Anteater Shrub]

Oh I hadn't realised

 

[Mr Gharial]

The others are just plain and don't offer anything different!

Plain?!

Zie-Zoo is the most plain of all. Having nearly the least climbing structures and being the only enclosure with zero naturalism.

Antwerp is the only other exhibit with no foliage, but it at least has lots of soil for them to dig in.

Artis is the only other exhibit with very little good ground space, but at least it has a lot of naturalistic climbing space and large surrounding trees, allowing the monkeys to not feel so out in the open.

Best zoo is the only exhibit besides Zie-Zoo's that I would call bad (well, mediocre is a better word), with the least space and climbing. But even Best zoo has surrounding foliage and live soil and plants.

Zie-Zoo is easily the worst enclosure out of all of these, it's borderline unfair to include it in the competition. Offering something different doesn't mean anything if this "different" thing is a bad thing. A restaurant offering a live rat would certainly be doing something different from other restaurants, but it wouldn't be getting any good reviews...

 

[ZooTripper365]

Well said @Mr Gharial! Zie Zoo is awful and makes the likes of Best look good!

 

[Anteater Shrub]

Well ok!!! I'm sorry I have an opinion!!!! You may like Appenhaul but I hate the boring look of it. You clearly don't like Zie Zoo which is ok, but just try and see my point of view on things @ZooTripper365

 

[Mr Gharial]

just try and see my point of view on things

I'm honestly trying, but it has absolutely nothing going for it. It's fine that you have opinions but I'm genuinely wondering why anyone would vote Zie-Zoo.

In terms of Animal Welfare, what does Zie-Zoo have that none of the other zoos do better?