Pusat Primata Schmutzer
The Pusat Primata Schmutzer is a primate center within the Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta, Indonesia, housing one of Southeast Asia's largest primate collections. The facility features open enclosures without bars, a small museum, library, and theater where visitors can observe various primate species from Indonesia and Africa while learning about them.
The center was founded by Willie Smits of the Gibbon Foundation after Pauline Antoinette Schmutzer left her estate for this purpose. In 2006, management transferred fully to the Ragunan Zoo, improving coordination of animal care and management.
The center is named after Pauline Antoinette Schmutzer, an animal lover and painter whose estate made its creation possible. Visitors experience a focus on learning here, where primates live in open enclosures that allow their natural behaviors to be seen and understood.
The center is well signposted within the zoo grounds and accessible by car or public transportation with nearby parking. Visitors should not bring food or candies as these are checked at the entrance, though free drinking water is available at various spots throughout the facility.
A pedestrian bridge allows visitors to watch primates from above and observe their behavior in the environment. All plants at the center are labeled with scientific names, helping visitors learn about the different tree and plant species that form part of the primates' habitat.
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