Primate Conservation in Asia

I found out about it by becoming addicted to the Animal Planet channel's series, "Monkey Business", which is a fly-on-the-wall show about this primate sanctuary. Within a few episodes, viewers get to know all the various primates (including the keepers and owners!).

Some parts are amusing, such as watching lemurs defend their territory against a stuffed animal. Some are just fascinating, such as seeing an orangutan figure out how to use a tool to extract milk from a coconut. Others are simply gripping, with two males engaging in an epic series of battles for dominance over control of the largest colony of chimps outside of Africa.
Unfortunately though, what makes the series are the heartbreaking tales of animal abuse that the sanctuary is dedicated to eradicating.

Some of the monkeys and chimps have lived their entire lives in abject misery, spending years (sometimes decades) locked up in squalid and tiny cages in pet shops or in the homes of woefully ignorant pet owners.
Monkey World also provide a home for animals that have been used for medical experiments in laboratories, and my personal favourite colony are a group of stumptailed macaques that are massively overweight and have a myriad of other health problems due to their life in a lab. Now nearing the end of their lives, Monkey World have built them a beautiful indoor and outdoor enclosure, and watching them cautiously go outside and climb for the first time in untold years really brought a lump to my throat.

The owners, Jim and Alison Cronin have now established the centre's worldwide reputation for excellence in primate rehabilitation, and actively work with governments from many countries to both rehome abused animals and, more importantly, stop the illegal hunting, smuggling and sale of endangered species.

Of all their projects, perhaps the most pressing is the plight of orangutans in Asia. There are estimated to be only ten thousand orangs left in the wild, meaning this amazing ape is on the threshold of extinction. Orangutans are illegally smuggled to countries such as Thailand and used as entertainment for tourists. Some attractions no doubt mean well and care for their apes as best they can, but by supporting the illegal trade of selling apes, they are still speeding up the eradication of the species in the wild. Others deserve no defense, cruelly chaining up their orangs each evening in such a way that they can't even stretch out on their cage floor.

If you are ever near the Dorset area of England, I would wholeheartedly recommend you visit Monkey World, it is a fantastic place for adults and children alike.
If you do go, they always appreciate old towels, sheets or blankets too, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.

So, what can we do to help?

* don't pay people to pose for photos with their chimp or orangutan. They may look adorable but the likelihood is that this baby's mother was shot in order to capture it. If nobody paid for photos the practise would stop.
* report primate abuse: if you are on holiday and see endangered species for sale, or suspect that primates are being abused, please report this to your tour operator and send any evidence you have to Monkey World.  Typical reports would be where and when you saw the monkey or ape, including the exact location - street names and/or shop names will help find the primate.
Jim and Alison keep detailed dossiers on all countries and have made a real difference, see their website for contact details and examples of their success stories.
UPDATE: Monkey World say: "If possible, a photo of the monkey or ape would be very helpful to us, but do not get yourself into trouble, and try not to pay for the photos as it only encourages the trade. Please forward this information to Monkey World either by post or by email."

I would also urge anyone that likes animal documentaries to try and watch Monkey Business. In the UK it is shown about a dozen times a day(!) on Sky Channels 535 and 536 (Animal Planet). If your country doesn't have it you can always order a DVD from the Monkey World website.

And of course, go and visit the Monkey World website now! It is filled with huge amounts of information on past and current rescue and conservation projects.

Chinese "Monkey" Vocabulary

Adopt an Orangutan!

In a small gesture to show my support for the work of Monkey World, I have adopted a baby orangutan called Kai  [凱] on behalf of this website. 

He was born at the sanctuary on 15th March, 2005 and is well loved by his mother, Hsiao-Quai [小乖]. She was born during 1994 and was smuggled from the wild before being rescued by the Taiwanese Authorities. She was found abandoned in front of a private park in Pingtung City, Taiwan.

 Kai's father, Tuan [端] was born around 1987 and was rescued after being found wandering loose in Taichung City, Taiwan -  it took 3 days to capture him!

Latest news about Kai (Winter 2005)
Kai is developing well, both mentally and physically. He now climbs off  his mother and he is even allowed to play on his own in the indoor enclosures.   He has made friends with Hsiao-Lan [小嵐], furthering hopes that she will one day be a good mother.

 
Kai pictured with his mother, Hsiao-Quai.

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Acknowledgements
Thanks go to the ever-helpful members of our forums for providing the Chinese vocabulary used on this page.