A zoo with a human face opened in Abu Dhabi (1 photo + 3 videos)

You go to the huge marine park in Abu Dhabi expecting to see all sorts of tropical creatures, and instead you stumble upon an area where the "animals" are people in super-realistic suits climbing trees and swinging from vines.



This is not a fake zoo, but a very expensive reality at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, in the Tropical Ocean section. Here, actors playing sloths, leopards, and cotton-top tamarins (those cute little monkeys with white tufts) put on a real acrobatic show called Canopy Climbers.

They imitate the movements so realistically that at first you think: "What the hell, where are the real animals?" And then you get it - this is an immersive attraction to create a jungle atmosphere without cages and zoo smells.

video-Abu Dhabi Zoo-1 opened

This park opened in 2023 on Yas Island, and it costs a crazy 1.2 billion dollars. Tropical Ocean is one of eight zones that combine real animals, like fish and birds, with these "human" performances.

What's the point? To give visitors something new: after the show, the actors come out to meet, pose for photos, chat - try this with a real leopard, he'll eat you sooner.

video-Abu Dhabi Zoo 2 Opens

The Canopy Climbers show is not just costumes, but full-fledged acrobatics: the guys climb poles, hang upside down, creating the illusion of a tropical forest. There are also stylized stilts in the form of frogs and butterflies to enhance the atmosphere.

Officially, SeaWorld positions it as "grand characters inspired by the tropics" so that guests feel like they are in the jungle without torturing real animals. Critics say this is a step towards ethical entertainment, without exploiting animals, but some visitors still feel cheated - like they paid for a zoo, but got a circus.

Videos of these "monkeys" are getting millions of views on social media, and memes are flying: "I came to see the animals, left with a photo with a dude in a sloth costume."

video-Abu Dhabi Zoo-3 opened

Who knows, maybe this is the future of entertainment: without cages, with maximum fun.