Living the high life.

The new High Canopy Habitat completes phase one of the Zoo’s $60 million South East Asia Jungle Track - the most ambitious project in its 99-year history as part of a #FutureZoo renewals programme being funded through Auckland Council’s long-term plan.

You can now embark on the first leg of an amazing wildlife experience through South East Asia – no passport required!

The Habitat

Created with the very highest level of animal care in mind, our two new habitat areas are world-leading in their design for both visitors and the primates alike.

The orangutan habitat has been designed to ensure they live arboreally, or off the ground, the vast majority of the time, as they would in the wild. They live, eat and sleep in a high canopy of trees, climbing posts, ropes and nests and their habitat reflects their love for being amongst the tree-tops where they can truly live the "high life".

Both habitats have access to towering aerial pathways where the animals can explore the "high canopy" of our Zoo as they would in the wild.

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The Aerial Pathways

The most noticeable element of our new habitat, the towering aerial pathways scattered throughout the Jungle Track, are a first within Australasia.

They were created by using 2km of three-tired vine-like ropes that connect to the nine 25m high supprt cylindrical poles that can be seen from around the Zoo. Our primates can sit high on the poles and observe, or "hang out" on the ropes as they would in tree branches and vines in the wild.

The primates can access the towers throughout the day - you will have the best chance of seeing them on the towers in the warm mornings.