La Montagne des Singes
| La Montagne des Singes | ||
|---|---|---|
| place | La Wick F-67600 Kintzheim |
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| surface | 24 hectares | |
| opening | August 1969 | |
| Animal species | Barbary macaques | |
| Individuals | 245 (summer 2016) | |
| organization | ||
| management | La Montagne des Singes SAS | |
| Member of | AFdPZ | |
 Females with young animals |
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| www.montagnedessinges.com | ||
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Coordinates: 48 ° 15 ′ 37 " N , 7 ° 22 ′ 34" E
La Montagne des Singes (German Monkey Mountain ) is a zoo for Barbary macaques ( Macaca sylvanus ) in the municipality of Kintzheim (in the west of Sélestat ), Canton Selestat , Department of Bas-Rhin , in the region of Alsace in France .
The fenced, walk-in outdoor enclosure was opened in 1969 as an attraction for tourists. The successful settlement and natural breeding of the threatened animals in the North African wilderness laid the foundation for three other Barbary macaque zoos in southern France , on Lake Constance in Germany and in the Midlands of England . So far 591 monkeys have been brought back to Morocco and successfully released into the wild.
history
 
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Location of the outdoor enclosure in Alsace |
The fenced, walk-in outdoor enclosure for Barbary macaques is located in the municipality of Kintzheim (in the west of Sélestat), Canton Sélestat, Département Bas-Rhin, in the Alsace region in France, was designed by Gilbert de Turckheim and Jacques Renaud and was built in August 1969 at 150 Morocco imported animals opened.
The idea came from Jean-Paul Renaud, Jacques's father, who had seen a similar colony of Barbary macaques in Algeria that was open to visitors . During the planning it turned out to be advantageous that the climate in the Vosges - warm to hot summers and cold winters - is very similar to that in the Middle Atlas (where the monkeys come from).
Since 2009, La Montagne des Singes has been run by Guillaume de Turckheim as a Société par actions simplifiée (SAS). The company has between six and nine employees and the 24- hectare enclosure is open to visitors from around mid-March to mid-November.
Foundation of further zoos
The Barbary macaques of La Montagne des Singes quickly adapted and the large number of births ensured that more outdoor enclosures could soon be created according to the same concept.
- In 1974, the first offshoot was La Forêt des Singes near Rocamadour , in the French department Lot in the Midi-Pyrénées region .
- In 1976 the Affenberg Salem followed in the Lake Constance district , Germany .
- In 2005 the company's fourth animal park, the Trentham Monkey Forest, opened on the Trentham Estate in Staffordshire , England, between Liverpool and Manchester , with 150 animals from Kintzheim and Salem making up the initial population.
Numerous other monkey enclosures based on the same model are available as individual attractions or as part of zoos across Europe.
Tour in the enclosure
When entering the enclosure, visitors are given information on how to deal with the monkeys in French , German or English and are given a handful of popcorn to feed the animals, which continue to be fed with fruits, vegetables and grain several times a day inside the enclosure.
The U-shaped tour through the enclosure is around 800 meters long and is occasionally separated from the natural forest behind by wooden barriers. Only the central area of the enclosure is accessible to visitors, so that the monkeys can retreat to quiet areas of the enclosure that are not overlooked.
There are water holes and additional climbing facilities for the animals along the way. Park staff are available for questions and assistance. About halfway there is a feeding place for the animals, where the staff also give short interactive lectures on the behavior, way of life and the origin of the monkeys. In the enclosure there are also eleven information boards along the way in French and German, which provide brief information about the life and behavior of the Barbary macaques; other panels explain the animals' body language and facial expressions .
At the end of the tour there is a covered area with large panels that provide in-depth text and illustrations on the topics presented by the information panels. A video pavilion and a souvenir shop complete the tour.
For school classes who would like to visit the zoo, there is an educationally prepared dossier on Barbary macaques, which teachers can be given before the visit.
Conservation measures
Successful release into the wild
In 1977 it was estimated that only about 20,000 Barbary macaques were left in the wild in North Africa ; In 2003 there were only about 10,000 animals. The reason for this is assumed to be the loss of natural forest habitats through clearing, which creates green spaces for herds of sheep and goats. The IUCN lists Barbary macaques as "Endangered" (Endangered, EN).
From the early 1980s visitors were informed of Signes about these hazards in the animal park La Montagne and they looked for partners in groups to monkeys from its own breeding successes again in North Africa auszuwildern .
So far, a total of 591 Barbary macaques have been released from the various Montagne des Singes offshoot parks in North Africa: In 1980, 232 Barbary macaques were released into the wild in Morocco in the Azrou Regien , and in 1986 there were a further 359 animals in the hinterland of Beni Mellal .
These processes were followed for months by primatologists , and three phases could be observed:
- In the first three to four days , the animals acclimatized , stayed together, rested, cared for their fur, and ate food that was initially fed.
- This was followed by an exploratory phase - about a month and a half - in which the animals ventured into unknown terrain for about 2–4 km in groups (depending on: 12–100 animals; roughly equal proportions of males and females) under the guidance of a male . Particularly brave individuals separated from their group by the hour or by the day. Communication between the groups was initially difficult as there were too many warnings even though there was no objective danger.
- This was followed by the stabilization phase, in which each group covered about 1.5 km² and the animals covered an average of 600 m per day. At dawn they left their sleeping trees, slowly looking for food in the mornings, resting in the shade in the midday heat and returning to their sleeping places in the trees in the evening. The rut took place in autumn / winter, the births - after 5 ½ months of gestation - in spring.
One year after release, the number of births was satisfactory, which was taken as a measure of successful readaptation.
Documentation and research on site
Each animal can be identified by a visible tattoo on the inner thigh. This allows the behavior of individual animals, for example group changes, births, unusual behavior, etc., to be documented by the staff. The monkeys receive regular veterinary care; the birth rate is regulated by subcutaneous implants .
In addition, behavioral studies are carried out in the enclosure of La Montagne des Signes, especially on the topics of reproduction , socialization and communication .
Cooperations
- From 2011 to 2013, together with the Moroccan Primate Conservation (MPC), near the Parc National d ' Ifrane in Morocco, campaigns to raise awareness among school children about the protection of the natural habitat and the fight against the illegal trade in Barbary apes were carried out.
- Since 2012, together with the MPC and the Spanish AAP Primadomus, tourists in the port of Algeciras , on the southern tip of Spain , have been informed about the illegal trade in baby monkeys with posters, leaflets and videos before the crossing to Morocco .
- Since 2013 there has been a research collaboration with the University of Lincoln in England to study the reproduction of monkeys in the Parc National d'Ifrane as a function of human population density and to develop appropriate recommendations.
- Since 2014, the Monkey Watch project has been training staff with the MPC in the Parc National d'Ifrane in Morocco and organizing nature excursions for tourists.
literature
- Gilbert de Turckheim, Ellen Merz: La Montagne des Singes: Kintzheim, Alsace; La Forêt des Singes: Rocamadour, Lot . G. de Turckheim, 1983 ( google.com ).
- Collectif, Dominique Auzias, Jean-Paul Labourdette: Guide des parcs animaliers 2011 . Petit Futé, 2011, ISBN 978-2-7469-4855-6 , pp. 8 ( google.com ).
- Material from the information center of La Montagne des Singes
Web links
- Official website of La Montagne des Singes .
- La Montagne des Singes. Video from September 10, 1969, one month after the zoo opened.
Individual evidence and explanations
- ^ Alsatian tourism website : Monkey Mountain
- ↑ Gilbert de Turckheim, born on December 4, 1940, was 28 years old when the outdoor enclosure was founded.
- ↑ Jacques Renaud, born on January 8, 1938, was 31 years old when the outdoor enclosure was founded.
- ↑ La Montagne des Singes on www.societe.com; Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ↑ Guillaume De Turckheim on dirigeant.societe.com; Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ↑ Dominique Auzias, Jean-Paul Labourdette: Guide des parcs animaliers en France 2016/2017 Petit Futé . Petit Futé, 2016, ISBN 979-1-03310353-0 , pp. 203 ( google.com ).
- ^ The Trentham Estate: Visit Monkey Forest and help protect the endangered Barbary macaque ; Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ↑ Information is given in either French, German or English.
- ↑ The information boards deal with the topics of origin (1), nutrition (2), group life (3), ranking (4), reproduction (5), social grooming (6), mothers and babies (7), males and babies (8) , Understanding (9), Research (10) and why Barbary macaques are not suitable as pets (11).
- ^ Moroccan Primate Conservation: National Conservation Action Plan for the Barbary macaque ; accessed on July 13, 2016.
- ↑ Official Website AAP Primadomus ; accessed on July 13, 2016.