In their natural habitat, many primate species will swim and play in water. Yet, for most monkeys in research laboratories, the only water they know is in the form of a small tube that must be licked in order to get a small amount of water at a time.
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When such individuals arrive at our Sanctuary, they are usually very wary of water buckets and troughs and about getting themselves wet. So, it has been especially rewarding to see some of these monkeys, who have spent their entire lives under laboratory conditions, finally being “brave” enough to splash around in the water troughs.
Last week, the bonnet macaques, who came to us almost two years ago, started chasing each other around their enclosure and jumped into the water for the first time. One of them, LeMond, even spent time just sitting in the tub. Then, this week, I noticed Elsie and Maude, the two rhesus monkeys who arrived from a laboratory in March, spending time standing in the water and splashing around.
Until next week,
Sarah