Jungle Friends offered me the chance to learn about a number of monkey species – White Faced Capuchins (Cebus capuchinus), Weeper Capuchins (Cebus olivaceus), Tufted Capuchins (Cebus apella), and Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). In addition, Jungle Friends offered me the opportunity to learn what it takes to run a sanctuary, how to care for captive monkeys, and the opportunity to conduct an independent project. My project focuses on a group of six white-faced capuchins and has been on-going since May.

Upon my arrival to JF, I also learned of the Born To Be Wild Project. Those of you that received the last issue of Jungle News may be familiar with the Born to Be Wild Project (BTBW) from Christine Orman’s article. Briefly, the aim of BTBW is to release captive monkeys to the Primate Refuge and Sanctuary of Panama (PRSP) where they may be free. Immediately, I was interested and asked Kari, Nicole and Lee many questions about it. One of the steps in this project is to build Hanuman Village, a large enclosure for monkeys that will reduce contact with humans.

In addition to working at Jungle Friends, I applied to a field course in Primate Behaviour and Ecology at the PRSP. While at Jungle Friends, I learned of my acceptance to the field course and shared this good news with Kari and Nicole (both of whom have been to the PRSP). They in turn have shared many stories of their time in Panama with me. Erin Ehmke, a volunteer at JF and student at the University of Florida, also shared stories about her time in Surinam where she studied monkeys in the wild. I look forward to seeing the same species of monkeys currently living at JF in their homeland. One of the goals of the PRSP is Conservation and I am sure my time in Panama will be an excellent educational experience for me. I believe the experience and knowledge I have gained at JF and that which I will be learning at PRSP will be valuable to me in the future. I have gained an understanding of the excellent care captive monkeys at JF receive and about the effort it takes to run a sanctuary. I am hoping to learn more about primate conservation and observation through field study at the PRSP, and I would like to see formally captive monkeys living free. Eventually, I hope my experiences lead me toward a career in Conservation. Thank you to Kari, Nicole, Lee and Erin for teaching me so much over the last few months.