I have had all three girls since they were small babies. They were raised exactly the same way I raised my human daughters. They had daily baths, wore diapers, were taken to many public places, and taught to be good girls when in public and at home. They were told “No”, which is anathema to most monkeys, without any adverse reaction at all. Often they had articles taken away from them. In general, they behaved very well, especially for monkeys, for the first three years of their lives.

We created a beautiful 10x10x20 outside habitat with 200 feet of tunnels. a 12x20 inside habitat from which it was possible to view the entire house through windows. They had a cage in our bedroom where they slept each night. They were allowed to accompany us outside on the farm while feeding horses. They played unfettered and free in the trees, on the fences, and even on the horses and Rottweilers. They had HUGE birthday parties, complete with 15+ people, horse and buggy rides, birthday cake, balloons and plenty of presents which they opened with great enthusiasm. They celebrated Christmas and Easter much the same way.

Never did I think that I would have to live seperately from them, even though both Sarah and Anna Claire attacked me when they were three. I was unable to go in with them after that, and had to be content with loving them through the cages and watching their precious antics. However, life throws curves that are completely unexpected, unexplainable, and totally uncontrollable.

We owned a large, independent mortgage company in Jacksonville, Florida, and in 1999 had 18 mortgage and farm employees on payroll. We were making more money than either of us had ever dreamed of. Our lives were filled with horse shows, traveling, and all the toys money can buy. We had a large brick home and an 18 acre farm with 70 miniature horses. Life was wonderful. Then, things suddenly changed. We lost our mortgage company through no fault of our own due to default ratios on loans exceeding guidelines. Suddenly, within two months, our income was drastically decreased. Over the next three years, we battled to recover and could not. Gone were all of the things we had thought were so necessary and important.

In the middle of all of this chaos, Sarah and Anna Claire were diagnosed with diabetes, and Katie Scarlett went blind. We controlled the diabetes with diet for quite a while, and over the next year and one-half Katie Scarlett was able to adapt completely to compensate for her blindness. She went in and out freely, and nobody knew she was blind without being told.

Suddenly, on 5/16/03, sweet little Katie Scarlett attacked Sarah for no reason. Somehow, I was able to separate Katie Scarlett from Sarah and Anna Claire with the help of Jason, a house guest. When I went on the porch to get Katie, (I have always been able to go in with her), she was running around like a rat in a maze. She ran into the wall and knocked herself unconscious. She was put into a cage, and Kari was called. She and Lee rushed over to help me get Sarah into a cage. They were taken to the University of Florida, where Sarah had multiple stitches in her arm, and Katie Scarlett’s exam was within normal limits. However, it was discovered on a routine urinalysis that Sarah’s sugar and ketones in her urine were out of control, and she was in grave need of Insulin therapy.

After much soul searching, I agreed to take Sarah and Anna Claire to Jungle Friends where there was adequate staff to handle their needs. I knew that our farm was going to be foreclosed on shortly, and I would be alone on the land we had purchased in the woods for our mobile home. I realized I had to love them enough to let them go, but hoped that Katie Scarlett would be able to stay with me.

A film crew for National Geographic found out about the move, and immediately called and requested permission to come and film the transfer. I agreed, as much as I dislike being in the spotlight, with the hope that my heartbreaking dilemma might convince any “would be” pet monkey owners that nobody needs to own a monkey. No matter how you plan for them, provide the very best for them, love them to distraction, still situations can and will arise that the monkey owner simply is not equipped to handle.

It is certainly a precious gift to be trusted, owned, and loved by a wild thing. But. that is just what they are - wild. That is part of their charm, and to try to civilize them and make them into a pet that can safely inhabit the human home is cruel and inhumane. They deserve to be with their own species.

Katie Scarlett was unable to deal with the loss of her sisters. She was terribly frightened and depressed. She chose her sisters over me, her human mom, as she should have. After much discussion with Erin Ehmke, one of the very loyal Jungle Friends volunteers, we took her to Jungle Friends, never dreaming she would be able to negotiate a strange habitat easily. We expected an upsetting period of adjustment for us and her. However, I believe that God had all of this under his control from the unusual fight to the transfer of Katie Scarlett Cameron. Within thirty minutes of being placed into the habitat with her sisters, she was moving around like she had been there all of her life. (This, after her taking a year and one-half at home to do the same thing.) It was just unbelievable. I truly believe that the fight was orchestrated by Someone wiser than me so that we would know that Sarah was in crisis. Upon arrival at Jungle Friends, it was discovered that Anna Claire was in worse condition than Sarah.

Each time I visit the girls at Jungle Friends, it is reinforced to me that I did the right thing. They are happy, well adjusted, blood sugars are down, ketones are negative, and Katie Scarlett is not fighting with her sisters any longer. I look at my three happy girls (flirting with the next door black and whites of all things), and ALL IS RIGHT WITH MY WORLD. I am reminded of my favorite Psalm (91:11) - “And He will give His angels charge over thee to guard thee in all thy ways”. My monks truly have angels protecting them - not the least of which is Kari and the Jungle Friends Staff.

Sharon Cameron
Monk Mom to Sarah, Anna Claire, and Katie Scarlett