Monkey Land: free-roaming macaques and a vibrant aviary
A scarlet macaw might just land on your shoulder. Two meters away, a Barbary macaque watches you with curiosity before turning back to groom its neighbor. This close-up contact with wildlife defines the experience at this park in Lumigny-Nesles-Ormeaux, which has been open since 2016.
Why visit Monkey Land?
This 21-hectare park prioritizes immersion over distant observation. Visitors step directly into the animals' territories. About 50 macaques move freely through their forest, while walk-through aviaries allow you to get within arm's reach of parrots and lorikeets. The 2021 expansion, named the Monkey Archipelago, added nine new species across three hectares divided into islands separated by waterways.
The four immersive safaris
Barbary Macaque Safari
The trail begins in the Barbary macaque forest. These primates from North Africa roam freely around the paths. They can pop up at any turn. Keepers accompany visitors to share stories about the social behavior of these round-cheeked monkeys.
Parrot and Lorikeet Safaris
The large 1500 m² aviary houses over a hundred birds, including blue-and-yellow macaws, multicolored parakeets, and bright green Amazons. Some are bold enough to come looking for a pet. A second, more intimate aviary hosts rainbow lorikeets. For a few euros (a small nominal fee), you can feed them nectar and watch them perch on your hands.
Insider tip: take off your earrings before entering the parrot aviary. These birds love shiny objects, and some visitors have left without their jewelry.
The Monkey Archipelago: the major new addition
Opened in 2021, this three-hectare extension showcases New World primates on nine thematic islands. The stars of the circuit are the Peruvian squirrel monkeys, small primates with golden fur that roam freely around visitors. The experience is similar to the lemur island at the nearby Parc des Félins.
The path also allows you to see black howler monkeys with their impressive calls, yellow-breasted capuchins, and spider monkeys with their long, graceful arms. On the Asian side, capped langurs and lion-tailed macaques round out the collection.
Species to look for:
- Geladas from Ethiopia with their bright red chests
- Cotton-top tamarins with their white manes
- Pygmy marmosets, among the smallest primates in the world
- Golden lion tamarins, a highly endangered species that arrived in 2024
Activities and dining
Several times a day, keepers feed the animals in front of the public. These educational feeding sessions cover tamarins, geladas, lorikeets, and macaques. The schedule is posted at the entrance. The Le Magot restaurant offers salads, sandwiches, and hot meals with a view of the enclosures. Kids have access to the Magoland playground, featuring slides and climbing structures.
Opening hours
*Information subject to change
I loved the Parc des Félins de Nesles, so I was really looking forward to discovering this new park dedicated to monkeys. I was not disappointed, because just like with the felines, the enclosures are relatively large and allow the animals to truly thrive. You can discover many different species of primates while walking along the built-in footbridges, which makes the experience really pleasant.