ZooParc Overloon has had squirrel monkeys again this week. Wildlands Adventure Zoo in Emmen moved its eight squirrel monkeys to Overloon this week. The six squirrel monkeys at ZooParc died in a fire last March.
The zoo in Emmen says that the animals’ departure had been considered for some time. That process gained momentum when it turned out that the zoo in Overloon was actually looking for new squirrel monkeys.
“When we heard that they had a place, the decision was quickly made. Unfortunately, it is a sad occasion for Overloon, but it is great that we can work together in this way and help each other,” says Hanneke Wijshake of Wildlands at RTV Drenthe. “ZooParc Overloon is very happy with the monkeys and they will have a nice new place there.”
They were out of place in Emmen
Squirrel monkeys, with their characteristic skull-shaped face and long yellow tail, attract many visitors. But they were not in the right place in Emmen. The problem was that the monkeys lived there in a so-called walk-through area, where visitors could also come.
That turned out not to be ideal. “Visitors were sometimes just a little too fond of the monkeys,” says Wijshake. “They sometimes deliberately offered food to the monkeys and that is of course not healthy for the animals.”
That’s why Wildlands sometimes kept the monkeys inside on busy days. “That is possible for a while, but not structurally,” says Wijshake. “This species should be running around outside, looking for insects and jumping from branch to branch.”