Monkey Jungle facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1933 |
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| Location | Miami, Florida, United States |
Monkey Jungle is a special wildlife park in Miami, Florida. It covers about 30 acres of land. This park is home to over 300 primates, which are animals like monkeys and apes.
It was started in 1933 by Joseph DuMond. He wanted to study endangered monkeys in a place that felt like their natural home. The park's famous saying is: "Where humans are caged and monkeys run wild!" This means you walk through covered pathways, and the monkeys roam freely around you.
Monkey Jungle is one of the few places in the United States where primates live in a protected, semi-wild environment. It is the only one that people can visit. You can explore different areas like the Wild Monkey Pool & Trail, the Cameroon Gorilla Forest, and the Amazonian Rainforest. There are also tropical birds in the Wings of Love area. Besides primates, the park also cares for sloths, turtles, and iguanas.
Currently, Monkey Jungle is closed to the public.
Contents
The Story of Monkey Jungle
In 1933, Joseph DuMond, who loved studying animals, came to South Florida. He let six Java Monkeys live in a thick tropical forest. He wanted to study them, but he couldn't get money from the government. So, he decided to open the park to visitors.
At first, the monkeys sometimes bothered the guests because they were very protective of their space. Joseph DuMond didn't want to put the monkeys in cages. So, he came up with a unique idea: he put the humans in cages! This became the most famous part of Monkey Jungle.
Ancient Discoveries at the Park
In 1994, scientists found amazing old fossils at Monkey Jungle. They were in natural holes in the ground called sinkholes. These fossils were more than 10,000 years old! They included bones from animals like the American Lion, Dire Wolf, and ancient horses and camels. This was one of the biggest fossil finds in Florida.
King the Gorilla
King is a gorilla who lives at Monkey Jungle. In 1977, there was a big effort to move him to the Atlanta Zoo. This zoo had a program to help gorillas learn to live with other gorillas again. Even famous primate expert Jane Goodall got involved! In 2001, Monkey Jungle built a much bigger home for King.
Explore Monkey Jungle
At Monkey Jungle, you can walk along jungle trails and see different parts of the park. They also have special presentations about the animals.
Wild Monkey Swimming Pool & Trail
This area is home to the Java Macaques. These monkeys are from Southeast Asia. They were the first monkeys brought to the park and there are many of them here. This 7-acre exhibit lets you see Java Macaques living in an environment like their natural home. If you wait, you might even see them dive into the pond to find snacks!
Presentations for this exhibit happen at 10:00 am, 12:15 pm, 2:30 pm, and 4:30 pm.
Cameroon Gorilla Forest
In the Cameroon Gorilla Forest, you can visit King, the park's gorilla. You can watch King in his 10-acre home, which is designed to look like his natural habitat. King has this large area all to himself.
Presentations for this exhibit happen at 11:00 am, 1:15 pm, and 3:30 pm.
Amazonian Rainforest
The Amazonian Rainforest exhibit is a large area that makes you feel like you are in the real Amazon. It is the only semi-natural tropical rainforest in North America. Frank DuMond spent over five years in the Amazon collecting plants to make this area as natural as possible.
The monkeys here live freely, without forced contact with humans. This allows visitors to see them behave very naturally. Studies done here have even gained international attention! Three different monkey species live in this exhibit:
- Squirrel Monkey: These are the most common monkeys in the park. There are about 125 of them, so they are easy to spot!
- Black-Capped Capuchin: This is the largest monkey species in the exhibit. You can recognize them by the raised black fur on top of their heads. They are considered very smart monkeys.
- Red Howler Monkey: This is one of the most unique primates in the park. You can spot them by their red fur and black faces. You might also hear their loud, roar-like calls from about a mile away!
Presentations for this exhibit happen at 11:30 am, 1:45 pm, and 4:00 pm.
Wings of Love
Monkey Jungle is also home to the Wings of Love Foundation. This group helps parrots that have been displaced or whose owners can no longer care for them. The birds live in large dome-shaped homes with other birds. These domes have natural plants to make the birds feel safe and happy.
The DuMond Conservancy
The DuMond Conservancy for Primates and Tropical Forests is a non-profit group connected to Monkey Jungle. It focuses on science and education. Their team, including staff, volunteers, and students, studies primates and their habitats. They use Monkey Jungle's special environment for their research.
The conservancy's main goal is to help scientists, students, and the public learn about nonhuman primates and their homes. Their research helps us understand how primates live and how to protect them. They also offer "living lab" training for young scientists and people interested in protecting primates.
The conservancy works with other groups in countries where many primates live. They also help people get involved in conservation. The DuMond Conservancy also provides a home for owl monkeys that used to be in research labs. Florida's warm weather allows these owl monkeys to live freely in a lush forest or in large, private enclosures with natural plants.
The DuMond Conservancy at Monkey Jungle gives young people in South Florida a chance to learn about conservation and primates. It's a great way to learn about animals, science, and how to protect our planet.
Images for kids
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A view of Monkey Jungle in Miami, Florida.
