Housing and procedures

Since 1996, AAP has been located in Almere at the Kemphaan, a project where various organizations affiliated to sustainability are working together: a work-study centre, a holiday facility for children with a disadvantage, the educational centre on environment of the Almere municipality, a city farmer who produces in an eco-way, the Dutch Forestry Commission and numerous other activities are found on the premises.

Sustainability

Also since 1996, AAP has been arranging its operational management in a sustainable way. AAP generates its own green electricity, has a helofyte filter for waste water, uses only cleaning products that are friendly to the environment, works with FSC-checked wood and provides organic lunches to its personnel. In 2009, AAP will take the necessary steps to operate in a fully carbon neutral way.

Quarantine

On arrival at AAP, each animal has to be examined on possible diseases and disorders. Therefore all animals are put into quarantine. Seven units, that can be organized in various ways, offer numerous possibilities for different animal species. In addition, AAP's veterinarian team has a surgery here, where almost all (also very specialized) veterinarian treatments can be carried out. Only if the animals are in perfect health will they be transferred to their next department.

Read more about quarantine

Design

The design of the Almere facilities was made after visits to various facilities in the world. Based on this research, the choice was made for a number of semi-detached accommodations, where the animals can meet different animals of their own kind. A limited amount of space is available to the animals. Although this results from the fact that we are taking care of many animals, we also find that rehabilitating animals into a group works better within a confined space.

The islands

Once a group is formed, the animals are going to need more space. We will now start looking for an address where the group can be outplaced on a permanent basis, e.g. a zoo. In expectation of this some groups of primates are living on our 'monkey islands'. These can be visited from a platform, where at set times a short presentation, the so called 'monkey talk', is given by our animal caretakers.

Read more about the islands

Warm

The primate hall did not have the proper climate for a number of animal species AAP wanted to take in. To overcome this, a new greenhouse with better climate control facilities was built in two days time, with the support of Angela Groothuizen and her tv series 'De Uitdaging'. Many kinds of rodents are now staying in this greenhouse, as well as small animals of prey and smaller kinds of primates, such as claw monkeys. Most of these also have outside enclosures at their disposal.

Read more about the primate hall

Cold

Many of the mammals at AAP need space much more than they do heating. Raccoons, for example, and arctic foxes, prairie dogs, nose bears and skunks. In 2007 our new mammal department was opened to accommodate these particular animals. This facility houses around 100 animals.

Read more about the mammal department

Big

In 2006 the building of a new chimpanzee complex was finished, with the support of the governmental departments of OC&W and VWS. Here, 28 infected chimpanzees will stay permanently. Before they came to AAP, these animals underwent numerous tests in a Dutch laboratory. Although they may carry diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C, these haven't been harmful to their own health for the time being. The expenses for their care are for the most part carried by the Dutch government. A separate part of this building can house up to 25 more animals. Chimpanzees from throughout Europe are taken care of here. The animals living in this part are not infected and are going through the same process of rehabilitation as the primates in the primate hall.

Read more about the chimpanzee complex 

Primadomus

Although it is AAP's ultimate aim to outplace its animals, this can be very difficult with some species. This is why in the year 2000 AAP started the building of a Lifetime Care Centre for these animals. The complex, called Primadomus, is located in a small town 50 kilometers west of Alicante, Spain. It was opened in 2009 and provides a perfect climate and a lot of space to some of our primate groups. And, equally important: with the move of these groups to Spain, more space becomes available to new animals at our rescue centre in Almere.