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Vali dweepam

'Vali dweep'-The Rhesus macaque enclosure.
 The Rhesus macaque enclosure in the zoo has been named as 'Vali dweepam' ('Vali' island) . Vali was the elder brother of Sugreeva and the ruler of Kishkindha . He banishes Sugreeva out of his kingdom and swears to kill him if he ever comes back . Sugreeva lives on mount Rishyamukha with his trusted followers until he meets Lord Rama . Rama and Sugreeva come to an agreement wherein Rama kills Vali and restores the kingdom to Sugreeva and he inturn helps Rama in his quest for Seeta.

The area where all the primate enclosures are located is called Kishkindha.
Rhesus macaque

Scientific name : Macaca mulatta
Common names : Hindi - Bandar; Bengali - markat
Characters : The hairs on its crown radiate backwards from the forehead without centre-parting . Orange -red fur on its loins and rump distinguishes it from other primates.
Habitat : Himalayas , Assam , northern and central India .
Habits : They live in large troops close to human habitat . The Rhesus feeds mainly on the ground . Ground plants , insects and spiders are their usual food .They are good swimmers and their mating season is from October to December . Capture and exports have depopulated many areas.
Size : Male : 60 cm high and weigh 7-10 kg. Female : 45 cm high and weigh 5-6 kg.
Sugreeva dweepam
The Bonnet macaque enclosure at the zoo is called 'Sugreeva dweepam' after Sugreeva , who also plays an important role in the Ramayana.
The Sugreeva dweepam is part of the Kishkindha area.

'Sugreeva dweep'-The Bonnet Macaque enclosure


Bonnet macaque

Scientific name : Macaca radiata
Common names : Hindi - Bandar ; Marathi - lal manga ; Tamil - korungoo ; kannada - kapi.
Characters : Long dark hairs radiate in all directions from a whorl on its crown and are parted in the centre. The coat is variable among individuals and season and is at its best in winter season .
Habitat : Southern India upto Mumbai on the west and the Godavari river in the east .
Habits : Troops of 20 or 30 animals are usually found both in the foot hills and in the plains , close to human habitat and in the jungles . They eat anything that is eatable , fruits , berries , leaves and shoots , insects , grubs and spiders .They lead a very social and highly organized troops of both sexes with a marked dominance hierarchy among the males . Peak mating season is October to November .
Span of life in captivity is 12 to 15 years .
Size : Male : under 60 cm and weigh 6 - 9 kg . Female : weigh between 3 - 4 kg .