Sacred apes

Hanuman langurs are very accomplished jumpers. Although they are friendly, peaceful animals, these apes’ jumping powers prevent the zoo from allowing them to run entirely free: they would be able to jump out of their enclosure! A creative solution has been found: the large aviary at Apenheul, which used to be used for South American birds, has been adapted for the Hanuman langurs. In this aviary, the apes can run loose among the visitors for a few hours each day.
The Hanuman langur is mostly grey, with black face, hands and feet, and pale yellow flanks. Its body is 50 to 75 centimetres long, and its tail measures about a metre. Its diet consists of leaves, fruit, shoots and buds. To get the salts it needs, it consumes mineral-rich earth as well.