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Jungle Voices
Friends and volunteers of Jungle Friends speak out
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The Importance of Volunteering: Interning at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary
Charlotte Doty-Kramer, Primates Incorporated Volunteer
Introduction
I am currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point majoring in Biology, with duel-minors in Anthropology and Museum Technique. A passion for animals, particularly primates, led me to choose an internship at a primate sanctuary. I wanted to gain experience within a sanctuary setting and a better knowledge about primates, so in the summer of 2009, I had the experience of a lifetime completing an internship at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Gainesville, FL.
Background
The sanctuary was founded by Kari Bagnall in the 1990's with a white-faced capuchin, and today has grown to 120 new world primates living at the sanctuary. A wide variety of both human and non-human primates call the sanctuary home. The sanctuary is home to marmosets, tamarins, capuchins, squirrels, and spider monkeys (numerous species within each), Kari, her grandmother, and frequent interns.
Sanctuary Life
I was one of 6 short-term summer interns that year (short-term consisting of 8 weeks to 4 months). Interns typically worked 11-12 hour days, 6 days per week. Therefore an 8-week intern would volunteer over 500 hours! I was there from June 8th - August 12th, or roughly 9 weeks, in the heat of Florida summer might I add.
Interns and caregivers lived in one of two mobile homes within the premises. One building, the 'Bunkhouse,' consisted of 2 bunk beds used to house up to 4 interns. The other, titled 'Caregivers Quarters' was a two-bedroom mobile home with full size beds to accommodate caregivers, guest interns, and applicants.
A Typical Day at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary
Before 6 AM - Wake up, make your bed, and head down to Rainforest Cafe
6:00-8:00 AM - Assemble and distribute diet bowls, prepare carts for daily chores
8:00-8:30 AM - Breakfast Break
9:00 - Early Afternoon - Daily Chores (cleaning indoors, outdoors, habitat maintenance) varied from day to day. Caregivers use this time for enrichment/socializations
2:00-3:00 PM - Lunch Break
3:00-6:00 PM - Afternoon chores (raking, dishes, hauling trash, ect.)
6:30 PM - Communal Dinner
After Dinner - Prepare Biscuit Bowls (Sometimes this was done in the morning.)
These times are approximations because nothing is set in stone at a sanctuary. Something unexpected or unplanned is always turning up that needs to be taken care of, so flexibility and patience was a must!
Experience
It's difficult to document and describe my experience at Jungle Friends; there were so many stories and events that happened in the nine short weeks that I was there. Being around the same monkeys and volunteers every day creates some unforgettable bonds and priceless stories. Jungle Friends attracted interns from all over the world. While I was there, I had the opportunity to work with a girl from England and another from Ireland, and an older woman on holiday from Switzerland.
While at the sanctuary, one little monkey named Earl changed my whole outlook on life. He touched my heart somehow and made me want to be involved with primate sanctuaries even more. Earl, a black-capped squirrel monkey, was born into lab research. He and his cage mates, Joey, Michael, and Ringo were to be used in lab studies but luckily ended up at Jungle Friends before testing could commence. Now they spend their days running in and outside, eating dried papaya and peanuts, and living a happy, healthy monkey-life.
Some of the other primates at the sanctuary were confiscated or retired from lab studies as well, but the majority are ex-pet monkeys, specifically capuchins. Some were diabetic and others were toothless, but every monkey had a unique and special story, some heartbreaking.
It was a truly wonderful experience that is difficult to put into words. All the primates had a chance to live out the rest of their lives in a natural environment, many with another non-human primate companion for the first time in their lives.
Other Sanctuaries
While at the sanctuary, I had the privilege to visit some other sanctuaries, just to see how different and individual each one is. Peace River Refuge and Ranch in Zolfo Springs, FL takes in just about any species of animal that needs a home; whereas other sanctuaries that I visited specialize in one specific species of animal. The Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, FL only has chimps and orangutans, and Big Cat Rescue (Tampa, FL) focuses on large felines. Big Cat Rescue does tours for the public to promote awareness. One Big Cat volunteer came to deliver fire hoses to Jungle Friends one day and told me they could offer tours because large felines sleep the majority of the day and are not affected by large groups of people or noise. The Center for Great Apes and Jungle Friends do not offer tours to the public and are not open to the general public largely because groups of people stress the primates and cause liability issues. But it seems all sanctuaries have common goals, to promote awareness and educate others on their cause (e.g., ending the exotic pet trade, lab testing on primates, mass breeding, or euthanasia).
Sanctuaries, no matter how big or small, are usually looking for and accepting volunteers and sometimes interns. I highly recommend contacting a local sanctuary in your area and seeing if there is any way you can help out. If you are unable to physically volunteer, you can donate supplies from their wish lists. Otherwise, monetary donations are always greatly appreciated. I cannot wait for Primates Incorporated to be built and start accepting primates.
If you are interested in an internship at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, visit the Opportunities page. For a good visual of what it is like to intern at JF, one can view 'A Day at Jungle Friends'.
Please help Jungle Friends today with your tax deductible contribution through Paypal.
Thank you for your continued support.
Lots of Monkey Love,
Kari and the Monks
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