The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that the primates living in Seac Pai Van Park enjoy heating that maintains their enclosure at 26 degrees Celsius to keep them warm.
According to the statement, every winter the bureau turns on the heating to ensure that the enclosures where the squirrel monkeys, southern pig-tailed macaques, ring-tailed lemurs, Tonkin leaf monkeys, northern white-cheeked gibbons and other mammals live are kept pleasantly warm. The statement noted that the animals’ natural habitats are in either tropical or sub-tropical areas so that they aren’t accustomed to the cold weather.
The statement said that the primates feel cold when the mercury drops below 15 degrees Celsius, so the bureau turns on the heating system for them.
The statement pointed out that the oldest primate is called “Black Boy” (黑仔), who was abandoned in Seac Pai Van Park in 1995, noting that he now is 27 years old. The statement added that since he is considered “elderly”, caretakers constantly monitor his health to ensure that he has everything he needs.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the 27-year-old northern white-cheeked gibbon named “Black Boy” living in Seac Pai Van Park.
