The Launceston City Council is having the City Park monkey enclosure cleaned and given a spruce-up to keep the macaques happy. Picture: GEOFF ROBSON
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THE Launceston City Council will update the City Park monkey enclosure after insistent lobbying for improvements from its primate inhabitants.
Council general manager Robert Dobrzynski said negotiations with the enclosure's 23 macaques had resulted in an agreement to upgrade the facility, which included cleaning the monkey moat and enrichment of their environment.
``We'll also be undertaking general cleaning, as well as laying down some fresh paint around the place to improve the enclosure and get the monkeys off our back, so to speak,'' he said.
The work would see the enclosure closed for three days from Wednesday.
The monkeys would be put in private rooms at the back of the enclosure.
Mr Dobrzynski said the rooms were heated and had swings, toys and treats to keep their minds entertained.
The monkeys are to be released back into the revived closure on Saturday, February 8.
Parks and recreation manager Andrew Smith said the macaques were a popular drawcard for City Park visitors.
``We were getting 1100 people per day looking at the monkeys in November and December,'' Mr Smith said.
``This is accurate data from our counters and likely to be higher for January.''