Mission and Objectives

Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary provides permanent high-quality sanctuary care for New World monkeys being retired from laboratory research, ex-pets, or monkeys who have been confiscated by the authorities.

Jungle Friends is also committed to advocacy and education on behalf of all captive non-human primates, and to provide assistance to improve the circumstances of captive primates wherever possible.

We work cooperatively with a national network of other credible animal sanctuaries, government agencies, other primate and animal protection organizations, and qualified individuals to find placement for unwanted monkeys and to combat the exploitation and mistreatment of captive primates.

While our immediate and urgent responsibility is to provide the best possible life for the monkeys we are able to house at our sanctuary, our mission is not only to assist these individual primates, but to also engage the interest and support of our national (and international) community in doing so. Every monkey successfully released from laboratory research, or rescued from a life of abuse or neglect as a "pet", an "entertainer" or a "breeder", becomes a part of our message that these beings are worthy of our efforts and must be included in our moral universe.

By taking action to assist individual non-human primates in need, and by reaching out to other human primates through our communications, presentations and the Internet, we attempt to encourage, inspire and, wherever possible, assist others in taking specific actions for the good of their fellow primates and for a more compassionate world.

Standard of Care

It is our goal to ensure that each one of our monkeys is in the highest possible state of well being, physically, emotionally and psychologically. They live in large habitats designed to promote normal behaviors and natural enrichment, enjoy the companionship of other monkeys, and receive loving and devoted attention from the carestaff.

Jungle Friends has taken the extra step of becoming accredited by both the American Sanctuary Association (ASA) and The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) to differentiate us from the unethical pseudo-sanctuaries that exist to profit from exploitation of the animals, and to demonstrate that our commitment and priority is to provide excellent care and living conditions of our primates. We are a member of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) and Kari Bagnall, the Founder and Director of Jungle Friends, is on the steering committee. NAPSA's mission is to advance and advocate for the welfare of captive primates.


Jungle Friends is regularly inspected by both the USDA and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, which rate our facility highly. Both agencies have referred other organizations to Jungle Friends as an example of exemplary primate care.

References