We are always trying to improve the quality of life for our monkey residents at the sanctuary. Part of that involves making sure that they are in the best possible living spaces that we can provide. At the beginning of this year, we had four monkeys in an enclosure built in 2003 that has outlived its usefulness, and while we seek funding to build them new enclosures, we needed to find them a current solution.
Moving monkeys is not a simple undertaking. There are multiple factors to take into consideration; group size, dietary needs, health concerns, social dynamics, and individual personalities are some of the major considerations. All considered, we devised a complex plan of around 16 steps involving 20 monkeys. The moves ranged from groups simply shifting through adjoining doors into adjacent enclosures, to being transported to different parts of the 175-acre property.
To facilitate the most stress-free moves possible, we built a tunnel system between three separate enclosures so that individuals could move from one to another when we open the sliding doors between them. This does not always work. For example, when trying to move Mrs. Wilkin and Anna from one enclosure to another, we found that Mrs. Wilkin had trouble climbing up to the tunnel. We spent hours measuring, cutting wood, and constructing a ramp that gently sloped up to the tunnel entrance so that she could access it. We proudly presented it to her and… she refused to use it. In the end, we had to catch Mrs. Wilkin, place her in a transport crate, and move her to her new section.
We also ran into an obstacle after we moved Khy and Dawkins. These two males had cohabited peacefully for over a year, but after we moved them into their new area, they began to show signs of stress. It was clear that their new arrangement was unsuitable for their specific needs and, because of this, we had to come up with a better solution. While the situation continues to evolve, we decided to move Khy to a different area, where, after a period of settling in, he will live with a group of four snow monkeys. We are introducing him to his prospective new enclosure mates slowly, to ensure he and they will be comfortable with the new living arrangement.
Dawkins is still in his new enclosure but we moved Professor, another male rhesus macaque, in next to him. They have not shown any aggression towards each other so far, which is a good sign for their long-term compatibility.
Working with animals can be challenging – they have unique personalities and may react in unexpected ways to anything we do. Figuring out how to work with them as individuals and give them what they need can be incredibly rewarding. We are excited for the time when all groups are happily living in the spaces that provide them with the best quality of life.
For the Monkeys,
Katie
