
Lion Tailed Macaque Berlin Zoo
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If you are staying at any of the great hotels in Berlin, you
are undoubtedly staying within walking distance of this
zoo. It is
located on the outskirts of the Tiergarten, the large park in the center of
the city. The park itself is bigger than the country of Monaco.
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[more pics]
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The Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) is
an
Old World monkey that lives only in the
Western Ghats of
South India. The hair of the "Lion-tailed
Macaque" is dark-brown or black. Its outstanding characteristic is the
silver-white mane which surrounds the head from the cheeks down to its
chin, which gives this
monkey
its German name of "Beard Ape". The hairless face is black colored. With
a head-to-tail length of 45 to 60 cm and a weight of 3 to 10 kg it ranks
among the smaller
macaques.
The tail is medium length with a length of approximately 25 cm and is a
black tuft at the end, similar to a lion's tail. The males tail-tuft is
more developed than that of the females.
Gestation is approximately six months. The young are
nursed for one year. Sexual maturity is reached at four years for
females, six years for males. The life expectancy in the wild is
approximately 20 years, while in captivity up to 30 years. |
What to expect at the Berlin zoo.
Thousands of great animals included in a well laid out zoo/aquarium setup.
I was surprised by the size of the place. Not just a cage with
one or two elephants but, apparently, a whole african savanah with a herd of
elephants. Not just elephants, but
giraffes,
lions, gorillas,
kangaroos,
polar bears,
tigers,
emus and, even, a glimpse of (not one, but two)
okapi. |
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from
wikipedia
"The Berlin
Zoological Garden (German:
Zoologischer Garten Berlin)
is the oldest and internationally most well known zoo in
Germany.
Opened in 1844 it comprises an area of 35 hectares and is located in
Berlin,
Tiergarten. With almost 1,400 different
species
and around 14,000 animals the zoo presents the most comprehensive collection
of species in the world.
The zoo and its
aquarium
numbered 3.2 million visitors in 2007. It is considered to be the most
visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular worldwide. Regular animal
feedings are among its most famous attractions. Several globally known
animals like
Knut, the polar bear or Bao Bao, the Giant Panda are contributing to the
zoo's public image.
The zoo is closely collaborating on scientific fields with a large number
of universities, research institutes, and other zoos around the world. It
maintains and promotes numerous
European breeding programmes and safeguards several endangered species.
A number of species kept at the 'Berlin Zoo' are regularly returned to the wild after
years in intensive human care."
A couple of nice places to eat, inside or out. Lots of signs pointing
the way and a comprehensive
zoo map in our guide book.
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