KIDS
MONKEY BUSINESS Fun and informative primate exhibition for all ages
The first thing that hits you is the noise. Calls, cries and screeches fly above your head as primates share vital information. Much the same is happening down below, as we humans discuss new facts we’ve learned or point out a cute face or pink bum we’ve spotted. We’re all in it together, as a mirror in the exhibition’s entrance points out: ‘you are a primate’, says the sign, placing us firmly in the centre of a gallery of monkeys, gibbons, apes and lemurs. The team behind Monkey Business are experts in their
field, and it shows. Over 60 primates (none of which were killed for this exhibition) have been taxidermied and positioned to feel as lifelike as possible. Whether it’s a baboon striding, a Hamlyn’s monkey flying or a Geoffroy’s marmoset clinging to a trunk, each behaves as it would have done in the wild.
Sections on habitat, diet, sight and sound each come with fascinating morsels of information, some via text, some through fun interactive screens offering hands-on learning. You can enjoy fishing for termites, swinging on the Jungle Climb and buying groceries for a chimpanzee. But then read the important words about endangered species and hopes for the future: all of which is in our hands. (Kelly Apter) ■ National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, until Sun 23 Apr. ●●●●●
66 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2017
For the latest news, listings and reviews, go to list.co.uk
/kids
P H O T O :
I
N A T O N A L M U S E U M S S C O T L A N D