For many months hanging in South America house next to the water basin of tapirs four plastic containers for the leaf-cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) on the sidewall.
In the last few months of 2014, a connecting tube of these containers (fungus chambers) was taken to a newly established box standing in South America house (at the tapirs and sloths) right in front of the pond.
Since December 2014 to zoo visitors / inside can look at the leaf-cutting ants in this box from close up. The container is a so-called "garbage chamber" or "waste chamber" or "tailings chamber" for the non-recoverable fungal and plant parts and also "graveyard" for the dead ants, which are deposited by their fellows there.
The endless train of leaf-cutter ants
In the last week of May 2015 Plexiglas tube was mounted on top of the glass pane at the Tapir pool at connections with hoses.
Even on the day of completion (Friday, May 29, 2015) of the construct with plastic tubes inserted scouts Ants a scent trail for new feed chamber, on which the leafcutter Atta cephalotes moved in an endless train of the fungus to feed chamber chamber. There cut workers out leaf pieces from the ready set leaves and transported to the leaf pieces fungus chamber.
