Lake Constance's Affenberg is on the hunt for an elusive primate that recently broke free
Be prepared if you stumble upon a nimble monkey while roaming Lake Constance. A juvenile Barbary macaque broke free from the Affenberg Salem over the weekend. Its current whereabouts remain elusive. Park director Roland Hilgartner has already labeled it a remarkable breakout, commenting, "No one has ventured this far before."
A young Barbary macaque has created quite a stir in the Lake Constance area. It was last spotted on Friday morning near Uhldingen-Mühlhofen in the Lake Constance district, close to the B31 federal road in the enclosure. Park director Hilgartner considers this event extraordinary in his 17 years of service: "No one has ever gone this far." The monkey's current location remains a mystery.
It's rare for one of the Barbary macaques to breach the enclosure, explains park director Hilgartner. However, in the event of an uprooted tree during a storm, the odds shift in the macaque's favor. In this instance, director Hilgartner speculates that the escape artist capitalized on a minor gap between the trees' crowns to facilitate its escape: "If they're agile enough, they can leap over."
No Starvation Risks
The built-barrier is designed to prevent the animals from escaping, but they are adept at scaling back in from the outside. Additionally, it's normal for them to return. "The pull of the group, the comfort of familiar surroundings, is strong," said Hilgartner.
However, the unnamed monkey could also be thriving in the wild right now. Plenty of vegetation and insects are available, and the flora and fauna on both sides of the fence are similar. "And perhaps he'll discover a few apples in the orchards," joked director Hilgartner. They would only require feeding during the winter, he added.
Barbary Macaques on the Brink of Extinction
The police and Affenberg staff attempted to coax the young macaque down from a tree with food on Friday, but it retreated into a larger forest area instead.
The grey-brown Barbary macaques hail from mountainous regions in Morocco and Algeria and are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their global population is estimated to number below 8,000, with around 200 residing on a 20-hectare forest area within the Affenberg, mirroring their natural habitat. Visitors are allowed to traverse the enclosure, getting quite close to the monkeys.
The unnamed macaque's escape has raised concerns within the European Union, as its species, the Barbary macaque, is endangered. The European Union has implemented strict regulations to protect endangered species and their habitats.
If the monkey continues to thrive in the wild, it could serve as a potential breeding ground for its species, which could contribute to the conservation efforts of the Barbary macaques within the European Union.
