Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium: Tropical Forest

 At the top of the ridge with the African Savanna habitats is a structure called the Tropical Forest.  This is an interesting title since the inhabitants are all primates.  The first time I visited, I remember feeling disappointed by the place; however, they've done up-grades which have created much better viewing throughout the structure.  The habitats are built around the center of the structure and surrounded by tropical foliage.  On the far side near the exit on the outside of the building is a pair of large multi-level habitats with massive faux tree trunks and apparatus to climb and swing on.  These are the interior habitats for the troop of Lowland Mountain Gorillas.  A large exterior space abuts this side of the Tropical Forest for their outside use.  

I ironically, on my first visit, while I was less than impressed by the monkeys' habitats, I did have a wonderful experience with the Gorilla troop in their outside space.  This trip, the space was clearly set up with snacks for their arrival, they were not yet out, and I ended up not seeing them.  

The way the building is shrouded in vegetation, it conceals the actual size of the structure creating a slight sense of magic when you enter and see the space inside.

The space held habitats for four species of monkey, both Old World and New.

WHITE-FACED SAKI

Pithecia pithecia

This is the male.  Females don't have the cream colored face.  Theirs is mottled brown and gray.  Native to Bolivia, I love these beautiful monkeys.

WHITE-HANDED GIBBON

Hylobates lar

Another beautiful primate, White-handed Gibbons call Thailand, western Malaysia, northern Sumatra in Indonesia, as well as, adjoining regions of Laos, Myanmar, and China.

ANGOLAN BLACK-AND-WHITE COLOBUS 

Colobus angolensis

There are a handful of sub-species of Colobus monkeys.  All are native to Africa.  A couple are resident in AZA zoos.  Most common are the Mantled Black-and-White Colobus, Colobus guereza.  The Pittsburgh Zoo is home to Angolian Black-and-White Colobus, which makes the opportunity to experience them somewhat more special.

BLUE MONKEY

Cercopithecus mitis

There are nine sub-species of Blue Monkeys.  They are native to sub-Saharan central Africa, most notably Kenya and Tanzania.