October 21, 2010 - Baby Monkey RescueDear Friend of Jungle Friends, Jungle Friends’ latest and youngest arrivals have the sanctuary staff scurrying! On Oct 1, three baby monkeys arrived with a group of brown capuchins rescued from a bankrupt roadside zoo. We knew the group included a nursing mother with an infant, but they were part of a family group occupying a single habitat, so it sounded like a simple rescue. Then things got complicated! First, the monkeys had to be “packed up” for the drive to Jungle Friends. The local animal team handling this had trouble capturing the capuchins, and finally resorted to using anesthesia.
The simple rescue became a crisis intervention as staff rushed to care for the dehydrated infant. At the same time, we learned that two other juvenile monkeys also needed to go into the “nursery.” Monkers and Zumie had been human reared and attempts to reunite them with the group at the zoo had not gone well. Nine-month-old Zumie ended up with a wounded foot requiring stitches. Upon arrival at Jungle Friends, it was looking pretty bad. In minutes, it seemed, the rescue changed from transferring a single, pre-socialized group into an intensive schedule of bottle feeding and medical care!
Fortunately, these kids are bouncing back. The baby is a resilient little guy! With some nourishment and loving care, he soon began to thrive. Zumie responded well to her antibiotic therapy and is healing nicely now.
Little Monkers, the oldest of the youngsters, has appointed herself as his new little mom – carrying him, grooming and playing with him. It is wonderful to see the loving bond grow between these two young monkeys. Watch the video now! So, with Jungle Friends staff to provide the bottles and baby food (twelve times a day!!) and Monkers to supply the monkey nurturing, baby monk is on his way to a healthy, happy childhood. PLEASE, don’t forget to VOTE EVERY DAY. You can vote online AND by texting! The monkeys are counting on you! Kari Bagnall, Executive Director Eat, groom, play... Baby Monkeys at Jungle Friends
Jungle Friends staff and volunteers stepped in to bottle feed the baby and care for his physical needs…. and little Monkers stepped up to provide monkey nurturing. We are not sure if the baby is actually Monkers genetic brother, but she has appointed herself as his new little mom – carrying him, grooming and playing with him. It is wonderful to see the loving bond grow between these two young monkeys. |
When the monkeys arrived after their cross-country trip, we were horrified to learn that when mama monkey woke from the anesthesia, she would have nothing to do with her baby.
We situated the babies next to the adult group, hoping that mama Elizabeth would reclaim her baby, allowing him to be reared by his natural mother. No such luck. Elizabeth has shown no interest in the baby – but someone else has.
Monkers is a juvenile brown capuchin who was rescued from a bankrupt roadside zoo, along with her younger sister Zumie, and a nursing mother and infant. Unfortunately, the monkeys were anesthetized to facilitate their capture, so they could be transported to Jungle Friends. When mama monkey woke from the anesthesia, she rejected her baby, who is only a few months old.
