A unique monkey species will make a splash in their brand-new Indianapolis Zoo exhibit – Sharing One World: Long Tailed Macaques – on Memorial Day weekend. Zoo members can enjoy exclusive preview days on Sunday and Monday, May 24-25, and the exhibit will open to the public May 26. Long-tailed macaques spends a great deal of time in the water cooling off, playing or escaping predators. Unlike other macaques, long-tailed macaques are the only ones that swim throughout their entire life – making them the perfect addition to the Zoo’s Oceans Area.
Native to Southeast Asia, the macaque lives side by side with humans in an urban setting and are at times seen as pests. Like all animals at the Indianapolis Zoo, the macaques are ambassadors for their species, sharing a conservation message about the importance of humans coexisting with animals. As the human population continues to grow, human and wildlife will have to share the same space. Hoosiers can learn to share urban areas with wildlife, just as the people in southeast Asia have learned to share space with the long-tailed macaque.
The Zoo has a troop of 29 macaques with 22 females and 7 males. The monkeys are led by a male named Graham. The troop includes a baby boy named Paul and a baby girl named Ren. Local schools suggested names for the troop, and zookeepers matched each macaque to his or her name based on their unique personalities.
Once open, the macaques’ habitat will feature pools surrounded by grassy areas as well as a few raised platforms that extend over the water. Not only will this design reflect the architectural styles found in Southeast Asia, we hope it will encourage the macaques’ unique — and very fun — natural diving behaviors that guests can watch through multiple glass viewing windows.
