Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seoul Grand Park reopens Japanese macaque habitat with nature-based redesign
The redesigned Japanese macaque habitat at Seoul Grand Park / Courtesy of Seoul Grand Park
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul Grand Park said Friday that its Japanese macaque enclosure has been completely redesigned into an eco-friendly, natural habitat, with public viewing scheduled to resume Saturday.
The extensive renovation marks a shift away from the previous concrete flooring and monotonous rock structures. The revamped facility features soil and sand bedding, varied seasonal flora and dedicated pools to replicate a more authentic wild environment.
By replacing the hard ground, the park enables the primates to engage in natural behaviors such as digging, foraging, sunbathing and grooming. The newly introduced water elements are designed to encourage social play and resting.
To improve animal welfare and expand environmental options for the macaques, officials installed a network of structural elements throughout the enclosure. These upgrades include tree-shaped vertical climbing structures standing five and seven meters tall, which facilitate leaping, swinging and balancing while offering the animals a vantage point overlooking the nearby lake.
A combination of multilength ropes, swinging play nets and climbing walls will help minimize boredom and lower stress by distributing territorial competition among the group. For year-round climate comfort, the enclosure now features shelters to shield against rain and snow, underfloor heating and a heated pool system to support outdoor activity during freezing winter temperatures.
The visitor environment has also been modified to improve accessibility and safety. Park authorities replaced the old wire mesh fencing with large, clear glass viewing windows and removed the first-floor guardrails that previously obstructed lines of sight. This design change allows young children to observe the animals clearly at eye level.
Coinciding with the reopening, Seoul Grand Park is expanding its "Animal Love! Kindergarten" nature education program, which had been scaled back during the construction period. The reservation-based program caters to preschool groups aged three to five, blending play, observation and experiential learning under the supervision of professional instructors and safety personnel. While previously confined to portions of the Children's Zoo due to safety concerns, the curriculum will now expand to include the Japanese macaque enclosure and the small animal exhibit.
"This natural enclosure expands choices for our animals while providing deeper observation and learning opportunities for the public," Park Jin-soon, director of Seoul Grand Park, said.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.