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.

History

The photographer Wim Mager, who kept several monkeys as pets, came up with the idea in the 1960s, naming it apen-heul, from apen, "monkeys", and heul, an old Dutch word for a safe haven. The park opened in 1971 as the first zoo in the world where monkeys could roam freely among the visitors, and gorillas arrived in 1976, with the first baby born three years later (Wikipedia, Apenheul Primate Park).

What's there

• 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.

Practical notes

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.

Key facts