Apenheul

Apenheul opened in 1971 in the Berg en Bos woods outside Apeldoorn with an idea that was new: instead of putting primates behind glass, let some species range freely through the public area, with the visitors walking among them and the animals free to approach or ignore them. Squirrel monkeys and several other small species roam the woodland; larger and more dangerous species - gorillas, orangutans, bonobos - are on islands separated by water, which is the other half of the design and which works because most primates will not swim. It holds one of the larger gorilla groups in Europe and has been significant in western lowland gorilla and bonobo breeding. Visitors carry bags provided by the park because the free-ranging monkeys will otherwise go through anything left open, which happens and which the park warns about at the gate.

What you actually see

• Free-ranging monkeys - squirrel monkeys and others moving through the visitor area.
• Islands rather than cages - gorillas and orangutans separated by water.
• A large gorilla group - among the more significant European breeding populations.
• Park-issued bags - because the monkeys will go through anything else.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Honest expectations

Seasonal opening, closed in winter. Very busy in school holidays. The free-ranging monkeys will take food and open bags - use the park's bags and do not feed them. It is a zoo, with the questions that raises.

Nearby

Het Loo palace is in Apeldoorn; the Veluwe forests are around.