Lake Constance's Affenberg Encounter Zone Captures Escaped Monkeys Outside Their Enclosures
Hey, you might run into a small primate while sauntering around Lake Constance. There's a Barbary macaque that broke free from Affenberg Salem over the weekend. Its current position remains a mystery.
A daring monkey escape from Affenberg Salem has caused quite a commotion in the Lake Constance area. The little primate was spotted in an apple tree near a campsite after spending a night on the run, according to the park director Roland Hilgartner.
The animal was first spotted on Friday morning in Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, located in the Bodensee district, close to the federal highway B31. Hilgartner described this as a remarkable event, stating that no other monkey has ever managed to venture this far during his 17 years in office.
While monkey escapes from the park are relatively rare, a tree falling on the fence during a storm can create an opportunity for an escape, Hilgartner explained. He suspects this particular escapee took advantage of a small gap between the tree canopies, allowing it to jump out. "If they're agile enough, they can make that leap," he said.
The enclosure's fence is designed to prevent the monkeys from escaping, but they can easily climb back in from the outside. The monkeys are also known to return to their group because they feel a strong sense of attachment to their territory.
Hilgartner believes that the monkey could be managing quite well outside the park at the moment, with a plentiful supply of plant food and insects available. The vegetation and wildlife on both sides of the fence are similar, making survival easier. "Perhaps it'll find some apples in the orchards," he suggested. Only during winter would feeding become necessary, Hilgartner explained.
Barbary macaques, identified by their grayish-brown color, originate from mountainous regions in Morocco and Algeria. Listed as endangered by the IUCN, their global population is estimated to be less than 8,000 individuals. Affenberg alone houses about 200 of these macaques, allowing them to live in a 20-hectare wooded area reminiscent of their natural habitat. Visitors can freely roam the enclosure and get up close and personal with the monkeys.
The Barbary macaque's escape has not only intrigued the locals but has also drawn the attention of other animals in the area. Other animals might be curious about this unusual creature that has ventured into their habitat.
If the monkey is indeed surviving well outside the park, it might attract various wildlife species that are not commonly seen near Lake Constance.
