Recent Monkey Rescues

Julian

Rescued from: Illegal Trade
Year Rescued: 2024
Location: Texas

Julian is a Japanese macaque monkey who was confiscated by officials for being kept illegally as a pet. Little is known about his past. He was initially rescued by a TX sanctuary, but he did not settle in his new home so Born Free USA was approached to take him due to the large population of Japanese macaques at its sanctuary. Julian began his quarantine period when he arrived in March 2024. Once this period is complete, he will be integrated into a troop of around 50 monkeys in a large multi-acre enclosure.

Pablito

Rescued from: Illegal Trade, Serious Injury, Escape
Year Rescued: 2024
Location: Laredo, TX

Pablito was hit by a car in Laredo, TX, after escaping from an unknown location. He suffered life-threatening head injuries but was saved thanks to the swift action of local vets. No information is available on his origin, but Animal Control confirmed that no permit had ever been issued for a monkey and so he must have been kept illegally. Thought to be 3–4 years old, Pablito was brought to the sanctuary in March 2024, where he underwent health check, disease screening, and a quarantine period. He was found to be underweight and anemic – conditions common to former pets. Due to his age, it is believed he will integrate well into a social group. The introduction process will begin when his quarantine is over and he has settled into his new life.

Gizmo

Rescued from: Pet trade, caused injury to former owner
Year Rescued: August 2023
Location: Wisconsin

Gizmo was surrendered to Born Free USA after biting a family member on the head and arm. The former owner told us it took two people using “all of their might” to pull Gizmo off the man. The man required 18 stitches in his head and shoulder as a result of the attack. Gizmo’s former owner described the incident as “the worst day of her life” and now regrets having brought Gizmo into her home. She told us that she realized that Gizmo was unhappy and monkeys should not belong to people. We are grateful that she took the decision to rehome Gizmo with Born Free USA. In his new home, he has already made friends with other rescued monkeys and is learning how to live with others of his own kind.

Lyla

Rescued from: Illegal Trade
Year Rescued: February 2023
Location: Round Rock, TX

Lyla was seized by law enforcement officers as part of a wider animal cruelty investigation. Living in a filthy dog crate for seven years with nothing but a dirty scrap of fabric to play with and shelter under, Lyla had developed very serious stereotypical behaviors such as pacing, self-biting, spinning in circles, and “zoning out”. On health check, it was found that she was severely underweight and suffering from a heart condition which had gone untreated. Animal Control Officers told Born Free that if we had not agreed to take Lyla, she would likely have had to stay where she was as there is nowhere for seized exotic animals to go.

Since her arrival at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, Lyla has gained healthy weight, her heart condition is under control, her abnormal behaviors have diminished significantly, and she is learning to live with other monkeys.

Max, Bernie, Poppy, Archie, Louie, and Ricky

Rescued from: Illegal Trade
Year Rescued: September 2022
Location: DeKalb, IL

These six monkeys were rescued when their former owner realized that she could no longer care for them following a change in circumstances. All six of the monkeys were being kept illegally as pets in Illinois, and all had had their canine teeth removed – something which protects owners from dangerous bites but has an impact on the social development of the individual animals involved. One of the monkeys, Archie, had all but his molar teeth removed, for reasons unknown.

All six are now successfully integrated into social groups at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary and live in spacious enclosures with other monkeys. As with most former pets, the cost of lifetime care for these monkeys falls upon Born Free USA – creating a significant financial burden for at least another decade.

Willis

Rescued from: Illegal Trade
Year Rescued: October 2021
Location: Chicago, IL

Willis is a young vervet monkey, estimated to be around 3-4 years old at the time of rescue, who was confiscated from a private owner in Chicago, IL, in mid-October, 2021, by Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) and Chicago Police. He was being kept illegally and it is unclear exactly where he came from, but it is believed he may have been purchased from Facebook two years prior. While it is illegal to keep a pet monkey in Illinois, the inadequate patchwork of state legislation across the U.S. means that purchasing a monkey and transporting them over state lines is simple. CACC contacted Born Free USA in seeking a permanent home for Willis. Willis now lives in a social group in a large enclosure plenty of room to explore and play with his companions.

Maliki

Rescued from: Pet Trade
Year Rescued: September 2021
Location: Janesville, WI

Maliki was a five-year-old vervet monkey who was kept as a pet in Indiana. He badly bit his owner, causing significant injury to her hand. She chose to surrender him to a sanctuary after the incident. The first sanctuary could not provide a permanent home for Maliki and approached Born Free USA. Maliki arrived in early September and passed away suddenly just one week later during his two-week quarantine period, while his health checks and tests were being carried out. Necropsy showed his cause of death as Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a heart condition which had gone undiagnosed by his owner, possibly for years. Pet monkeys often come to sanctuaries with serious health conditions as few veterinarians have the experience to treat wild animals. Those who do are often cost-prohibitive for pet owners. Maliki’s natural lifespan should have been around 25 years.

Gambit

Rescued from: Pet Trade
Year Rescued: July 2021
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Gambit was a five-year-old Rhesus macaque who was kept as a pet by a family in Las Vegas. Following a change of circumstance for his original owner, Gambit was passed to the man’s parents. His aggression levels grew as he got older, and the couple became terrified of him. He was confined to a cage, measuring 2’ x 3’ x 3’ and remained locked inside that tiny space for three years. The family contacted Born Free USA to ask for a new home for Gambit as they were scared that he was going to escape his cage and seriously injure them. It took four people, including two qualified vets, to safely sedate Gambit for his journey to the sanctuary and special safety precautions were put in place in his new home due to the extreme risk he poses to staff. Sadly, Gambit passed away in 2022. Watch Gambit’s rescue video!

Kiki

Rescued from: Pet Trade, Compounded Stress
Year Rescued: June, 2021
Location: Dallas, TX

Kiki is a seven-year-old vervet monkey who was purchased by her former owners when she was just three months old. From that time to the time she arrived at the sanctuary, she never saw another monkey. When the children of her owners went to college and they wanted more freedom to travel, Kiki was surrendered into the care of Born Free USA. Kiki arrived worryingly underweight, and her bloodwork showed poor liver function caused by compounded stress. Watch Kiki’s rescue video!

Marlin, Violet, Presley, Anna, and Mrs. Wilkin

Rescued from: Dilapidated Roadside Zoo
Year Rescued: 2020
Location: Iowa

These six monkeys were rescued from Cricket Hollow Zoo, a rundown roadside zoo in Iowa. The zoo had a long history of animal welfare violations. The animals lived in filthy conditions, kept in cages with rotten food, feces, and dirty, standing water. One baboon died from repeatedly banging his head against his enclosure wall after being separated from his mother. It was also observed that the zoo left live animals trapped in their cages with the decomposing bodies of other animals.

Working with Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), Born Free USA acted to rehome baboon Marlin and his daughters, Violet and Presley, and macaques Anna and Mrs. Wilkin. The monkeys have since been integrated into sanctuary life, with ample space, good food, enrichment, and chances to socialize with others of their kind. Watch the Five New Lives rescue video!

Dawkins

Rescued from: Laboratory Exploitation
Year Rescued: 2018

Dawkins arrived at the primate sanctuary in May 2018 in a flurry of publicity. Dawkins was rehomed from animal experimentation and into our care. On the day of his arrival at the sanctuary, Dawkins created a stir at the San Antonio Airport when the bottom of the crate that the lab had transported him in literally fell out. He spent a short time on the loose in the airport but was, thankfully, safely brought under control without injury to him or anyone else. Despite this stressful event, Dawkins quickly settled into his new life at the sanctuary.

Creed and Oscar

Rescued from: Laboratory Exploitation
Year Rescued: 2018

Creed and Oscar were rehomed from animal experimentation into the care of Born Free USA’s primate sanctuary in May 2018. Having never before walked on grass or earth, they were at first reluctant to leave their transport crates and explore their new, naturalistic enclosure, but they gradually grew more confident.

The two monkeys live together and have formed a strong bond. Within days of their arrival, they were spotted grooming each other; an important form of primate social interaction. The pair are now known as inseparable, loveable rabble-rousers and will take a great interest in what is going on around them.