10.30am - 12.30pm & 2pm-4.30pm (last entry 4.25pm).
Our colobus monkeys have leapt into their soaring new home - London Zoo’s Monkey Valley
London Zoo’s landmark Monkey Valley is now open to visitors, with the iconic Snowdon Aviary newly transformed into a walk-through habitat that soars an incredible 80ft above the London skyline.
Transporting visitors to the lush mountainous forest of Central Africa, against the backdrop of a 30ft waterfall and peaceful lagoon, be one of the first to step into Monkey Valley and experience our troop of gravity-defying, high-flying colobus monkeys leaping, lounging, swinging, and snoozing, in their new tree-top inspired habitat.
Colobus monkeys have complex stomachs which enables them to digest a strict diet of foliage, once they have had their food, they tend to rest inside to let the stomachs digest it.
The walk-through may be closed at certain times throughout the day for a limited period of time to allow our monkeys to rest, however visitors can still explore the surrounding area or come back later to experience the walk-through. Monkey Valley is currently open to walkthroughs from 10.30am - 12.30pm and 2pm - 4.30pm (last entry at 4.25pm). Opening times are subject to change at short notice and we apologise for any disappointment caused.
London Zoo Monkey Valley transformation
The new walk-through in Monkey Valley features a range of monkey upgrades, including multi-level sunny and shaded basking spots for the ten troop members to lounge in, more than 800 metres of rope to swing on, 1,347 new plants and trees to leap amongst and a 30ft waterfall.
Visitors can walk alongside these incredible monkeys before learning to translate ‘colobus speak’ in Colobus Corner, and practising colobus leaps - which can span 50 feet – in Colobus Park.
Discover the Grade II* listed structure’s fascinating history and relax in our quiet zone.
The Snowdon Aviary was a landmark innovation in design when it was constructed in the 1960s, harnessing a combination of structural tension and balance to create an enormous space for birds and people to share.
The Grade II* listed former aviary is now enjoying a new lease of life in Monkey Valley, a new home for our Eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys. The redevelopment was made possible by a £4 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a £1 million donation from The Ambika Paul Foundation.
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There are four audio descriptions about Monkey Valley, developed for partially-sighted visitors.
You can listen to the audio descriptions on your personal device as you walk around Monkey Valley or listen online using the links further down this page
They describe different areas of the exhibit, the colobus monkeys and their way of life. Each description is associated with a tactile object. You can listen to them in any order, as they are not an audio described tour around the site.
Clear signage is used to signal the location of the 4 audio descriptions within Monkey Valley. The signs contain a QR code and a weblink which you can use to open the audio file.
We recommend bringing headphones, so when monkey sounds are played they will be for your ears only and not upset the real animals.
In the meantime, If you would like to join an audio described tour at the Zoo, please see dates and details on the link below.
Monkey Valley Information
Monkey Valley is home to eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys. They roam and leap through the iconic Snowdon Aviary, a structure originally built for birds in the 1960s, but now transformed to meet the needs of these tree-top dwelling monkeys.
There is a tactile and large print map on the Zoo’s West Footbridge, which leads over a canal to Monkey Valley. The location of the audio descriptions is marked on the map.
Occasionally the walkthrough section of this exhibit needs to close, to allow the monkeys to rest. You can still access the description outside the entrance and staff can inform you when it will reopen. Sometimes guides will also be there, leading small groups of visitors through the walkthrough.
Listening to the audio descriptions online
Listen to the four individual audio descriptions by pressing the individual links below.
Stop 1 - Amazing architecture of the Snowdon Aviary
Stop 2 - The Colobus monkey walkthrough
Stop 3 - Colobus corner, the far right corner of their habitat