What is Monkey Forest?
The equivalent of 40 football pitches!
Trentham Monkey Forest is the largest primate habitat in the UK and the only woodland of its kind in the UK.
140 monkeys reside in the woodland all year round, living remarkably similar lives to the wild.
As the monkeys are native to the mountainous regions of Algeria & Morocco, they deal with heavy snow to red-hot summer days with no problems at all!
Visiting the UK's only Monkey Forest is a bucket list item for many visitors!
Conservation is at the heart of all we do
We serve as a sanctuary for Barbary macaques. There are fewer than 8,000 remaining in the wild, and Trentham is a tranquil home for us to protect them.
Since opening in 2005, we have welcomed over 150 baby monkeys to the park. They are born high up in the treetops overnight, just like they would in the wild - with no medical / human interference.
Each year, between 6-10 babies are born that you can come and see during the summer!
Re-introductions back to the wild
In 1980 & 1986, our sister parks successfully reintroduced nearly 600 Barbary macaques back to the wild in Morocco. It is thought that, to this day, the ancestors of the ones we reintroduced remain.
Due to the environments in which they live within our parks, reintroductions are very possible. This project on the 80s further proved this as the groups adapted quickly.
Due to conditions no longer being favourable, we have no future plans to reintroduce.
However, due to how the monkeys live here in Trentham, this makes reintroductions to the wild more than possible.
Groundbreaking research
As our woodland replicates their native habitat to a close degree, researchers can conduct a very high standard of project here.
Individuals can be tracked for days or even months in a setting extremely close to the wild - this would be incredibly difficult to achieve during field research, and facilitates phenomenal findings.
Over 50% of what is known about Barbary macaque behaviour has been found through research conducted within our parks. More than 100 communicative behaviours have also been identified through these studies!
This is their home
All of our 140 monkeys will live their whole lives here at Monkey Forest. They live within their stable groups with their friends and families.
The average age that our monkeys will live up to will be around 23 years of age. However, we have seen many surpass this milestone, with our oldest ever monkey reaching the high age of 32!
As we have been open for over 20 years, we have seen monkeys be born here and then grow up to have babies of their own. Some then go on to have great-grandchildren. Their natural journeys within their own structured groups see them flourish.
The Barbary macaques thrive, generation after generation. There are up to 6 generations here at our park!
Visiting us - why it is unique for you + how it funds vital conservation
Trentham Monkey Forest is the only place in the UK where you can walk amongst 140 free-roaming Barbary macaque monkeys. You will literally cross paths with a primate!
They live their lives within the UK's largest primate habitat and exhibit their natural behaviours right in front of you.
This place is where conservation and recreation go hand-in-hand, as your visit to their home, have a fantastic experience which in turn helps them to be protected and us to fund vital conservation projects.
