There is no way on Earth I would go into a walk-through enclosure with baboons!
Walk through monkey exhibits
- Thread starter garyjp
- Start date
I went camping in Kenya once and every evening we were joined by baboons who sat just behind us as we ate around the camp fire. When we finished they'd search for anything edible they could find. They were never threatening but I wouldn't have then in a walkthrough
My experience of wild baboons is that they keep their distance, unless they are habitualised by people. I don't see much difference to macaques, throughout Asia or at Gibraltar, in that regard. Both groups are powerful animals armed with long teeth, intelligent brains and a fair amount of bravado/bluff.
My experience of working with baboons (and macaques for that matter) is that you wouldn't enter the exhibit with a full group. However when we had an opportunity to do a health check on our baboons, we darted the big male but caught all five females by hand net (back in the day when you could!). Much less bravado from the girls when they didn't have the back of a big male. We approached the macaques in a similar vein (however disease protocols would be a major factor now days).
Obviously a number of zoos manage macaques in walk-throughs - I've seen two Trentham's and Apenhuels' Barbary macaques. Maybe Barbary macaques are more chilled then other spp?
I would also say that large male langurs and colobus can be very threatening individuals (with long sharp teeth). However I'm aware that zoos have (and in London's case will be) put them successfully in walk-through exhibits. I would also add Patas monkeys to this group, but not aware of a walk-through exhibit.
Has anybody done vervets in a walk-through? Would seem an ideal size and temperament.
My experience of working with baboons (and macaques for that matter) is that you wouldn't enter the exhibit with a full group. However when we had an opportunity to do a health check on our baboons, we darted the big male but caught all five females by hand net (back in the day when you could!). Much less bravado from the girls when they didn't have the back of a big male. We approached the macaques in a similar vein (however disease protocols would be a major factor now days).
Obviously a number of zoos manage macaques in walk-throughs - I've seen two Trentham's and Apenhuels' Barbary macaques. Maybe Barbary macaques are more chilled then other spp?
I would also say that large male langurs and colobus can be very threatening individuals (with long sharp teeth). However I'm aware that zoos have (and in London's case will be) put them successfully in walk-through exhibits. I would also add Patas monkeys to this group, but not aware of a walk-through exhibit.
Has anybody done vervets in a walk-through? Would seem an ideal size and temperament.
Surely the point is that animals in a walk-through do become habitualised to people.
Yes you would think so. Mind you look at how much damage Knowsley's baboons wreak just on cars in a drive through...
I can see that the highly arboreal species might be OK in a walk through, even the larger species, but the more terrestrial forms might be much more of a problem as they would be far more likely to interact with visitors on the exhibit. Aside from the choice of species, the risks would involve the individuals concerned - a hand reared individual for example might be too imprinted on people to leave them alone.
Yeah, I wouldn't go into an exhibit with baboons walking around. The only thing scarier would be chimpanzees. Most Central and South American species I wouldn't mind though, even though I have been near white-faced Capuchins and squirrel monkeys in the wild and they like to pee and throw things.
I've seen Barbary macaques in the wild before. They were used to people's presence, would take food, steel from opened cars but I've never seen one getting aggressive toward someone.
I have never been to Asia before but from videos I've watched, I can tell Asian macaques and Barbary ones are pretty different behavior wise. In Asia they seem to have this steel and run away behavior way more than in Morocco, where they didn't really give a ****. I'd compare them to Japanese macaques in their hot springs, just chilling out there. It was in a forest, wild population but used to seeing and interacting with human. I've seen them several times, but still, this is all speculations, I have no idea how to really compare their behavior.
Slave monkeys down in Marrakech are another thing : scared of their masters, they're more toys to tourists than macaques and I'm pretty sure the one who pissed on the tourist's head once got beat up hard later on.
I have never been to Asia before but from videos I've watched, I can tell Asian macaques and Barbary ones are pretty different behavior wise. In Asia they seem to have this steel and run away behavior way more than in Morocco, where they didn't really give a ****. I'd compare them to Japanese macaques in their hot springs, just chilling out there. It was in a forest, wild population but used to seeing and interacting with human. I've seen them several times, but still, this is all speculations, I have no idea how to really compare their behavior.
Slave monkeys down in Marrakech are another thing : scared of their masters, they're more toys to tourists than macaques and I'm pretty sure the one who pissed on the tourist's head once got beat up hard later on.
There are several 'Monkey Forests'- one in the UK and a couple in Europe which house large numbers of Barbary Macaques which I believe are in close contact with visitors(I haven't visited so don't know the logistics) presumably they are regarded as a 'safe' species to mix with people at close quarters. Perhaps their longstanding relationship with tourists on the Rock of Gibralter provided the basis of evidence for this.
Regarding Baboons- at Jane Goodall's Chimpanzee Research Centre at Gombe Stream in Tanzania, Yellow Baboons are rife and very bold, having been accustomed to people for many years. You are advised not to stare directly at the babies riding on their mothers backs in case it makes them squeal with fear and provoke a defensive attack by a big male. One adult male in a big group passing through the camp stole a plate. After he dropped it and had moved away what I thought was a good distance I went to retrieve it but he came running back and slapped at me- fortunately nothing worse than that though. I would never consider them safe for close contact in a walkthrough type exhibit in a zoo or park.
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I've worked with JapMacs before - their behaviour is consistant with other Asian macaques. Don't believe for one moment that the serene hot bath footage means calm monkeys! Plenty of monkey/human conflict in rural Japan too.
Not sure why Barbarys are used in walk-throughs in Europe. It could be that big mature males are separated from the public.
nicholas
Well-Known Member
They have a different behavior then asiatic macaques. Males don’t need to be separated from the visitors, but they whole group has to be parent reared, as ex-pets can become very aggressive.
So what exactly is different in Barbary behaviour to Asian spp? I've never read anything to suggest that their social structure is different.
nicholas
Well-Known Member
All macaque species have unique behavior of course, but one thing that makes barbary macaques different is that males are not aggressive to visitors. Males also form strong coalitions, using babies as mediators. Among for example rhesus and crab-eating macaques, males are much more aggressive among each other, not tolerating each others presence the way barbarys do.
I am sure that's the key to why they can feature in walk-in displays and unlike the other Macaques.
I wondered the same.
nicholas
Well-Known Member
It has never been found in barbary macaques.