Monkey Jungle
The Monkey Jungle was formed as semi-natural habitats to the endangered species of Monkeys. The Monkey Jungle was started with an idea of the famous animal behaviorist Joseph DuMond, who in 1933 freed six monkeys in the South Florida hammock. The Monkey Jungle is located covering an area of 30 acres and is situated in the South Dade area of America. The Jungle is the pioneer of many zoological parks, and plenty of them are inspired by the concept and design of the Monkey Jungle.
The Monkey Jungle is one of the few protected habitats in US for the endangered species of primates. The park is a home to nearly 400 primates and most of them move freely without any fear. Visitors are welcomed in this park with the Java monkey troop. The Java monkeys are the prime attraction of the jungle. They feed on natural foods available in the jungle. The Java monkeys are excellent divers and are able to collect shellfish and crabs from the mangroves and riverbanks quite adeptly. The visitors are shown the lifestyles of these primates and the funny acts these primates perform.
There are around 30 species of primates staying here, including many rare varieties. These primates include spider monkeys, Golden Lion Tamarin, gibbons and guenons.
Operation Hours:
9:30 AM- 5:00 PM (Daily)
Office closes at 4:00 PM
Admission Rates:
Adults: $29.95
Children ( 3 – 9 years ) : $23.95
Senior Discount (65+): $27.95
- Rainforest adventure tour
Apart from a wide variety of Primates, there is a Rainforest made in the Monkey Jungle where different species of Plants, climbers and trees can be seen. Plenty of plants here are sourced from the Iquitos region of Peru. The Iquitos region has more than 180 inches of rainfall in a year, while the rest of South Florida has only around 60 inches of rainfall. For that reason, these rainforest plants sourced from Iquitos need a customized irrigation system.
This rainforest is home to the predators like yellow rat snakes, hawks and raccoons. The rainforest also has three species of monkeys, and the Coco monkey feeds on these predators.
Tour Length:
45 minutes
Operation Hours:
10:00 AM-2:30 PM (Thursday-Sunday) - Wild Monkey Swimming Pool:
Operation Hours:
10:00 AM-12:15 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM - Adoption Program By adoption program, one can be support the Monkey Jungle and the residents there. The adoption program also encourages the wildlife conservation, and many people take this charitable work by parenting the primates and helping the jungle financially.
Archeological Discoveries in Monkey Jungle
The Monkey Jungle has been a center for study and research on Primates from its inception. The rare varieties of animals and plants generally encourage the zoologists and the archeologists to carry a research work in this jungle. In 1994, a group of archeologists discovered a 10,000 years old fossil from the sinkhole of the monkey jungle. This fossil specimen included bones and teeth of a human. It also included bones of animals like dire wolf, saber tooth tiger camel and Pleistocene horse. This finding is said to be having a great importance in the field of Archeology. It is the biggest find in Southern Florida till date.
