Krefeld (dpa / lnw) - The Krefeld Zoo has completed the outdoor area for the chimpanzees Bally and Limbo, who survived the devastating monkey house fire. The two monkeys entered and explored the newly released facility after just a few minutes, the zoo said on Tuesday. The 49-year-old female chimpanzee Bally dared to venture into the unknown territory first, with the 29-year-old Limbo following her a little later, it said.
Bally and Limbo survived the New Year's Eve 2020 fire largely unscathed. They had since been housed in a separate area, and animal rights activists have criticized the attitude. It shouldn't stop with the outdoor enclosure alone. The zoo would like to gradually build more outdoor and indoor enclosures for gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees over the next few years. The completion of the outdoor enclosure for the two chimpanzees is now followed by the expansion of the gorilla garden on the site of the former monkey house.
The fire disaster was triggered on New Year's Day 2020 by a sky lantern that landed on the roof of the monkey house. About 50 animals died in the fire, including eight great apes. Some of the monkeys had lived in the zoo for decades.
