Monkey Jungle |
|
| 14805 SW 216th St. | |
| Miami, FL 33170 | |
| 305-235-1611 | |
|
Hours:
Gates open at 9:30 daily and close at 5 p.m. The ticket office closes at 4 p.m. daily. | |
One of Old Florida's last kitschy attractions, Monkey Jungle is home to nearly 400 primates, but with a twist on most zoos: People walking through the park are "caged" in an enclosed walkway, while most of the primates climb and play freely on the 30-acre reserve. You can buy food to feed the monkeys or watch guides do it. When animal behaviorist Joseph DuMond released six Java monkeys into the wilds of a dense South Florida hammock in 1933, he unknowlingly gave rise to the modern approach of more open, natural zoos. Visitors are welcomed by this Java monkey troop, now numbering over 80. You can also check out 30 other species of primates, including orangutans, gibbons, guenons and spider monkeys. Or take a stroll through the Amazonian rain forest or aviary. (August 4, 2005)
