Affenberg goes digital

With drone and AI to the transparent macaque

It remains exciting at the famous Affenberg Landskron.(Bild: Claudia Fischer/Evelyn Hronek)

What do macaques do at night? Where do they sleep? The pioneering cooperation "Smart Monkey Lab" is now set to reveal more secrets about the macaques on Affenberg Landskron.

Using drones and artificial intelligence, the monkey mountain is now moving into the future of digital behavioral research and the public is also to be involved. The pioneering cooperation between the Carinthian University of Applied Sciences, the University of Vienna and Affenberg Landskron, which is supported by the state of Carinthia, is setting completely new standards in order to be able to take an even closer look at the 181 macaques. Because many questions are still unanswered.

A facial recognition APP has been under development for a year.(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

The thermal aerial image shows macaques sleeping in the trees.(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

Also possible with a drone: aerial image of the different zones.(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

The Carinthia University of Applied Sciences makes it possible: thermal image of the monkey enclosure.(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

And they sleep in the trees
For example: What do the monkeys do at night? Where do they sleep? They actually sleep in the trees, as the thermal drone images have already shown. Or what do the group dynamics look like? We can look forward to more secrets being revealed in the future. "However, we would like to emphasize that this new research method will not affect the monkeys in any way. They can still live undisturbed as they would in freedom," emphasizes Scientific Director Lena Pflüger, who, for example, knows almost all the monkeys and their names.

This is what the APP will look like in the future.(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

Drone with thermal imaging camera from the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences.(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

Bernard Wallner (University of Vienna), Peter Granig (Rector of Carinthia University of Applied Sciences), Lena Pflüger (Scientific Director of Affenberg), Ulf Scherling, Gernot Paulus, Roy Hammer, Svenja Gaubatz, Lena and Mayor Günther Albel (City of Villach).(Bild: Claudia Fischer)

Work on a facial recognition app has been going on for a year in collaboration with the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences. To do this, 181 macaques have to be photographed, filmed and processed for the AI. Soon, visitors will also be able to enjoy this app and even get to know the monkeys by name.

In general, people of all ages will be able to participate in research as part of the Citizen Science programs in order to raise awareness of the animal world. "We want to involve interested people directly in our project in order to promote science communication," emphasizes Roy Hammer. The area is also to be expanded. The Affenberg will be open from March 29 this year. More information at

affenberg.com