ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Next month, guests of the Saint Louis Zoo will be able to walk at eye level with monkeys and lemurs in their treetops. The new Michael and Quirsis Riney Primate Canopy Trails exhibit opens July 12.
Admission to the Zoo and this exhibit is free, but timed reservations will be required. It opens to the public at 10 a.m.
Zoo guests will be able to walk from the forest floor, through a see-through tunnel, and up into the treetops on an elevated boardwalk to see up to 14 types of monkeys and lemurs in their state-of-the-art homes and play areas.
Check out photos below:
The project began in 2019 as a 35,000-square-foot outdoor expansion connected to the Primate House
The $13 million exhibit consists of eight new outdoor homes for primates — lemurs, Old World monkeys and New World monkeys.
The exhibit was designed for an estimated 70 different habitat combinations
Overhead mesh tunnels connected to the Primate House lead to tall, preexisting live trees and other outdoor habitats with spaces for the animals to climb and perch
Climbing structures will allow guests to explore the forest canopy next to the animals
Approximately 40 primates representing 14 species will utilize Primate Canopy Trails and the Primate House
"This is an amazing and unique exhibit that will help us connect people to animals like never before," said Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D., Dana Brown President and CEO, Saint Louis Zoo
This exhibit was made possible by many donors, including meaningful leadership contributions from the Michael and Quirsis Riney Family Foundation, the Estate of Rudolph L. Wise, and the Dana Brown Charitable Trust
