Een leeuw ligt op een platform in de zon bij Eindhoven Zoo.

Together or alone

Living together

Some animals live alone and others live together. Some live in family groups and others in large, complex groups. Discover how animals cooperate, compete or, conversely, avoid one another. If you live in a group, you can work together. But if you live alone, you don’t have to share. Living alongside other animal species or even with humans can sometimes be an advantage. Would you prefer to live like a Western chimpanzee in a large group, or would you rather be alone like a Hermann’s tortoise?

Plan your visit

Set off together or on your own and discover these animals:

Go exploring in this themed area

Een West-Afrikaanse chimpansee is aan het eten terwijl een jong toekijkt bij Eindhoven Zoo.

Chimpanzee feeding time – 4.00 pm

Experience the Western chimpanzee feeding presentation and discover how they live together and communicate with one another. Pay close attention to the sounds, facial expressions and cooperation within the group as they gather food. This will give you a unique insight into their social lives.

View all educational presentations

De gewone wasbeer ligt in een ton bij Eindhoven Zoo.

Have a good look around

Take your time and have a good look around when you’re walking past the raccoons and striped skunks. Raccoons sleep during the day in a barrel or a hollow tree. At night, they go out in search of food. So have a good look in the trees and barrels as you walk past.

Een volwassen en twee jonge berberapen zitten tussen de stenen bij Eindhoven Zoo.

See how Barbary macaques work together

Barbary macaques communicate using sounds and facial expressions. Can you hear a monkey ‘smacking’ its lips? That means it’s saying: ‘You’re the boss.’ They also groom each other a lot. This keeps their fur clean and is a way of resolving disputes. Or at least pretending to...

Did you know that...?

🦫 North American beavers live in family groups. Each group consists of a father, a mother and their young. The whole family works together. They build the dams and lodges they live in together. They also look after the young together.

🦁 African lions are the only felines that live in groups. A group of lions is also known as a ‘pride’. The males protect their territory and the females go hunting. So everyone has their own role to play.

🐢 The Hermann’s tortoise digs a hole in the ground to lay her eggs. She then covers the hole up and leaves. So nobody looks after the eggs. Even once the hatchlings have emerged from their eggs, they are left to fend for themselves.

Together, we protect nature

Every day, Eindhoven Zoo and Stichting Wildlife work to protect endangered species and vulnerable natural habitats around the world. During your visit, you’ll find out more about the projects we support through Stichting Wildlife, including:

Namibian Lion Trust

One of the biggest problems facing lions in the wild is conflict with humans. Around Etosha National Park in Namibia, the Namibian Lion Trust is working to resolve and prevent conflicts between humans and lions.