The jungle is coming to Queensland Museum in the latest exhibition Monkeys! A Primate Story, which will bring visitors closer to their primate cousins when it swings into action on Saturday 29 September.
Arriving direct from National Museums Scotland, the exhibition features more than 60 taxidermy specimens, from the tiny mouse lemur to the mighty gorilla. Queensland Museum Network Acting CEO Dr Jim Thompson said the taxidermy was specially commissioned for the exhibition, which is the first to show primates behaving as if they were in the wild. “This family friendly exhibition will give visitors the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with our closest living relatives and discover how different primates move and communicate; play and interact and how they have evolved and adapted over time,” Dr Thompson said. “It also examines the relationship between humans and primates, including the ways in which many species are threatened with extinction through the impact of habitat loss and hunting.”
Monkeys! A Primate Story is targeted towards families; children will be captivated by the hands-on, interactive elements including a display where they can fish for termites like a chimpanzee, and digital interactives, which allow them to design a primate or visit a monkey supermarket to pick out food. Presented within an immersive, multi-sensory and specimen-rich environment, the exhibition brings taxidermy to life and invites visitors to meet both their primate ancestors and today’s apes and monkeys.
Principal Curator Vertebrate Biology, Dr Andrew Kitchener from National Museums Scotland said visitors will enjoy an unrivalled opportunity to learn about the diversity of the primate family and to see them up close. “We are all primates but how much do we really know about this fascinating animal group? Monkeys! A Primate Story is a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition and the first of its kind,” Dr Kitchener said. “Visitors can enjoy an unrivalled opportunity to learn about the diversity of the primate family and to see them up close. They are also able to learn about the impact our choices have on primate livelihood and what we can do to protect them.”
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