Affenberg Landskron, Monkey sanctuary in Villach, Austria.
Affenberg Landskron is a facility in Villach where roughly 180 Japanese macaques live in a wooded area spanning about 4 hectares. The animals move freely through ponds and climbing structures distributed throughout their natural surroundings.
The facility was founded in 1996 and experienced an unexpected event in its opening year when a large number of macaques escaped the enclosure. It took six weeks to capture and return all the animals.
The facility serves as a research center where universities study how Japanese macaques behave in semi-open conditions. Visitors can watch these primates interact with each other and follow their natural habits throughout the day.
Access is via a private road directly below Burg Landskron, where the Adlerarena is also located. Entry is only possible on a guided tour of about 45 minutes, offered several times a day; the route leads through the wooded 45,000 m² enclosure past two ponds. Sturdy shoes are useful on the forest ground.
During the warmer months, you can see Japanese macaques swimming and diving in the two ponds on the grounds. This behavior shows how well these animals are adapted to water activities, which is not common among all monkey species.
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