Monkey Forest Celebrates 18 Years of Captivating Visitors with a Trip Down Memory Lane
Today, our fascinating 60-acre Staffordshire woodland celebrates its 18th anniversary!
To commemorate this incredible milestone, we wanted to share with you a collection of captivating images looking back at the primate research centre’s creation in 2005.
Since opening our doors, we have been enchanting visitors with our unique and immersive experience, allowing guests to observe the monkeys roaming freely within the vast Staffordshire woodland. Hosting the monkeys in this environment allows their natural behaviours to be preserved, so they act EXACTLY how they would in the wild. This creates the perfect blend of a hard-hitting conservation message whilst also engaging our visitors, as they experience an incredible primate in a setting unmatched elsewhere in the UK.
Over the past 18 years, the park has welcomed many visitors, creating cherished memories and fostering a deep connection with nature. The park has also had an extremely successful breeding programme, welcoming over 170 baby Barbary macaques into the world, with 9 born this summer already.
To celebrate this special occasion, our dedicated team embarked on a heartfelt journey back in time. Armed with photographs from the park’s creation in 2005, our team returned to the exact spots where the images were originally taken. In a delightful twist, we recreated the photographs using the original pictures, showcasing the remarkable changes that have taken place over the past 18 years. These images show the park’s growth, evolution, and enduring commitment to conservation.
Barbary macaques are a highly endangered species, with less than 8,000 said to be left in the wild.
Monkey Forest is the UK’s largest primate enclosure and we work closely with organisations such as PSGB (Primate Society of Great Britain), BMAC (Barbary macaque Awareness and Conservation), and Chances For Nature to support conservation projects that help primates currently struggling in the wild.
Head Guide, Anna Smith, who has worked at Monkey Forest since it opened, expressed her excitement about this momentous occasion, saying, “Turning 18 is a significant milestone for us at Trentham Monkey Forest. It’s a testament to our unwavering dedication to providing a safe haven for these wonderful creatures and offering visitors an unforgettable experience. We wanted to celebrate this anniversary in a unique and meaningful way, and what better way to do that than by revisiting our roots and capturing the transformation we’ve undergone over the years. Since opening, we have welcomed over 170 baby Barbary macaques. It’s fantastic to prolong the footprint of this amazing primate, for us to preserve their remarkable behaviours, allowing visitors to observe them for many years to come.”
The collection of images showcases not only the physical growth and changes within the park but also the progress made in raising awareness about the importance of primate conservation. The park remains committed to its mission of promoting conservation, education, and the preservation of endangered species.
We invite you to join in the celebration by following the our social media channels, where all the captivating images have been shared.
Engage with the #MonkeyForest18Years hashtag to relive the journey and share your own memories and experiences.
As we celebrate 18 years of inspiring visitors and fostering a deep appreciation for wildlife, we thank our visitors for their support and looks forward to many more years of creating unforgettable memories and contributing to the vital cause of primate conservation.
Thank you for your support,
Trentham Monkey Forest Team