About Apenheul

Our mission

Apenheul is a non-profit foundation. We want our visitors to feel the same love for animals and nature as we do both inside and outside the park. We work for nature conservation on a worldwide scale and operate as sustainably as possible. After all, nature is under pressure: more and more species are critically endangered and nature is still continiously dissappearing. 

Vision

In Apenheul we want to stimulate love and respect for nature. How? To get people in contact with nature in a very special manner. In Apenheul guests stand face to face with hundreds of primates. They live in large, natural habitats and most primates even roam free among visitors. On top of that, primates are a lot like humans: we are able to learn a lot from them. A day at Apenheul is an unforgettable experience, that stays with guests even after their visit. We hope that guests are enamored by the nature and want to contribute to its conservation themselves. 

Research

Apenheul is an expert in the field of primates thanks to our years of experience and studies that we conduct. We mostly do (applied) research in Apenheul itself. Aside from that we also support studies in the wild, such as research on the blue-eyed black lemurs in Madagascar. 

These studies help us to learn more abour the way in which animals live in both zoos and in the wild. It thus is able to help us to keep our animals in the best way possible. After all: the more we know about animal species, the better we are able to protect them in the wild. For this we work together closely with different (inter)national universities, other zoos and nature conservation organisations. We also offer the opportunity for other universities to conduct their research in Apenheul. 

Education

Telling stories about animals and nature is an essentia part of our mission. We see our primates as representatives of their congeners in the wild. We tell our guests more about the animals here, but also about their congeners and their situation in the wild. Eventually we hope that the guests are just as enchanted by animals and nature as we are. And this even leads to more sustainable behaviours within our park. 

How? In our park we tell your more about animals and nature during presentations, educational activities and (guided) tours. On the educational signs in our park a treasure trove of information can be found. And with (interactive) play elements we learn even our youngest visitors more about animals and the environment in an engaging manner. Furthermore, many school classes visit Apenheul to follow an educational program every year. We also visit schools ourselves to share our story there. 

Collaborations

Apenheul is a part of the Dutch Association of Zoos (NVD) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). These associations have quality norms when it comes to animal wellfare, housing, safety and ethical codes where members have to take account of. Apenheul is one of the leading zoos when it comes to these areas.

Aside from that, Apenheul is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), Club van Elf and we work closely together with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).