A Kingdom for Primates
Apenheul is a medium-sized zoo specialized in keeping primates in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. 30 different species are kept here in an exemplary manner. The animals are housed without bars, romp through the forest and inhabit their own islands, sometimes in large groups. The zoo founded the Apenheul Nature Conservation Fund (ANF) back in 1994. This fund supports nature conservation projects around the world to protect monkeys and their natural habitats. In the midst of various monkey enclosures, the children can do as the monkeys do and climb, balance, slide, hide or rest in three tree houses in a large play jungle. A, quite literally, huge attraction is a three meter wide and five meter high wooden monkey head opposite the restaurant terrace. You can climb into the sculpture and observe your surroundings through its eyes and mouth. A large climbing forest peeks through between the trees behind the monkey head. Bridges and ropes connect towers and posts form countless circuits with different levels of difficulty. It is particularly exciting to crawl through a net tunnel between two tree houses at a height of round five meter while others stand under the tunnel. Even many adults cannot help themselves but join the hustle and bustle – they are right in the middle of it.