Monkey heat at the showdown: Dresden Zoo opened its new orangutan house on Tuesday, completing the largest investment in its 163-year history. The building cost 22 million euros and was therefore around five million euros more expensive than planned. Almost three million euros came from donations. According to Dresden's Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert, the zoo has thus become even more attractive to visitors from near and far. Hilbert also sees the investment as a contribution to species-appropriate animal husbandry and combines this with an educational aspect. It is important to develop an awareness for the preservation of the rainforest, he said.
The orangutan house, which was opened in temperatures of almost 30 degrees, resembles a giant donut in shape. The outdoor enclosure for the great apes is located in the middle. The enclosure should provide the orangutans with better protection from wind and noise and allow them to spend more time in the fresh air during the year than before. They also have significantly more space and climbing opportunities as well as retreat areas and playgrounds in the indoor and outdoor facilities. In addition to the great apes, the house is also home to other Southeast Asian animal species, including the Binturong slinking cat, smooth-coated otters, reptiles such as two reticulated pythons and the three Dresden giant tortoises named Hugo II, Hugo III and Hugo IV.
