Buddy’s story begins in the late summer of 2011, when he was sold by a breeder to an animal broker who had negotiated the sale of the young olive baboon. When the deal fell through, Buddy was left to linger in a small cage in a barn as the broker attempted to secure another client.

Fortunately for Buddy, people familiar with the situation were able to acquire him and send him straight to the Primate Sanctuary for proper care. His arrival couldn’t have come at a better time!

Just a few months earlier, we had taken in Elvis, a six-month-old traumatized baboon, who desperately needed a friend to grow up with. It took a few weeks for them to completely settle in with one another, but once they did, they became inseparable. Their self-confidence and maturation have been wonderful to witness. Elvis’ outbursts became shorter and less frequent, and Buddy now had someone to be with 24 hours per day instead of being isolated in a small cage.

In 2012, we constructed a large one-acre enclosure for nine female baboons who were retired from research. After they acclimated to their new surroundings and worked out their hierarchy, we introduced Buddy and Elvis to the girls. Both young males were readily accepted and their confidence grew even more in a short period of time.

Buddy is tremendously active and full of character. He lives his life in the company of others of his own kind, sharing his large, natural enclosure with the nine female baboons, Elvis, and Dane: another male baboon who was rescued from a basement in Wisconsin.