Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre 2009 #1

how did she die ... awfull awfull awfull news ....

 

Of all the recent deaths at Monkey World, Pip's has hit me hardest.
Rest in peace sweetheart, you're with your daddy now.
I just hope Ben is alright

 

she had her leg injured (like aris did) they anathetised her but sadly her heart gave up and they lost her.
I know how ur feeling apes-9 deaths in just over a yr
charlie was the one thats upset me the most because he was such a fighter and a testimony to what monkeyworld is all about

 

im so shocked ... hows ben ?

 

It's particularly upsetting when we're watching her fit and well on the 'Monkey Life' series at the moment.
The birth and death of Amy's baby was featured last night. I still can't understand why, when they seemed to realise that she was in labour and knowing her history, Jeremy didn't go in with her.

 

I didnt watch it but im guessing Jeremy didnt want to stress her too much as Amy is actually one of the more grumpy and moody orangutans there may have also been the chance she would have lashed out at Jeremy. Im guessing safety first?

 

I think he would have been quite safe. He hand reared her and seems to be able to do anything with her - he was sitting with her in a previous episode, giving her a massage. In an earlier series, he was present at the birth of another baby orang. I can't remember whether the mother was Hsiao-Quai or Ro-Ro, but it all looked quite relaxed.

 

I had not realised until the recent 'Monkey Life' series that Amy had also had several other babies in the past that had died , not just Gordon . Was Amy housed with Gordon when she became pregnant last year , or with Tuan ?

 

'Monkey Life' last night featured the rescue centre in Vietnam which was being run by the gibbon keeper, Wendy. Has anyone been to Monkey World lately and noticed whether she is out there permanently or is back in Dorset? I've always enjoyed her keeper talk - she is brilliant at sharing her enthusiasm for gibbons.

 

It is good that Monkey World is somewhat moving away from just being a sanctuary and has invested some of its resources into a rehabilitation center in the range state of N. gabriellae gibbons at the sanctuary.

What needs to happen - in my view - is that they should move away from being just a storage facility for confiscated primates. I would hope they will invest more resources into breeding of their endangered primates - like in the case of the gibbons at Monkey World -. This counts for the orangs - which might or might not yet be part of the EEP - too.

One would hope that with their stock of wild caught chimpanzees, they would likewise invest in a breeding programme and at the very least identify the various subspecies in their collection and arrange the groups to taxon-level and provide blood samples for the on-going studies into chimpanzee genetics (a lot of issues remain unresolved with regard to genetically identifying the different subspecies). If the genetic issues were resolved that would be of massive and global importance to captive-breeding efforts for chimpanzees.

 

Thats a good point, i too love her talks, i once saw her giving a guided tour to some visitors and she was very helpful. Im planning to visit in two weeks so i will look out for her then.

 

One thing with with breeding their confiscated chimps (and other primates, though some, like the Golden Cheeked gibbons, seem to be doing fine) is that, though they are doubtless sitting on an resevoir of genetically valuable animals, many of the chimps are probably unable to raise their own offspring.

The only successful story I can think of is Susie and her two, Bart and Eddi. The other mothers just neglected theirs, probably due in part to having learnt little or nothing off their own mothers.

So yes, a good idea and good for conservations projects around the world as it would mean new blood, but difficult to pull off, I should image. Lots of hand rearing, which would probably have repercussions on the next generation (ie, more hand rearing)

 

Thats why I would discount the females and only look at rehoming males into breeding groups.

Gibbons are very valuable but I don't think any one knows who they belong too, I would gather they belong to the government of where they were rescued from unless they released them to Monkey world.

 

That's a good point about the male chimps, as they do have the bachelor group after all. I suppose though that there might be the worry they have a few mental problems (some of the certainly seem a bit crazy)?

 

Just to make this clear Monkeyworld does not "breed" their chimps at all, the births that have happened have been mistakes with the contraceptions ect...

The only animals they breed properly are the woolly monkeys, orangutans and the golden cheeked gibbons which are all part of breeding programmes, i do agree that not all the breeding has worked but in the cases mentioned most mothers are able to bring up their own young.

 

By "breeding" I meant, "if they were to start a breeding programme" It doesn't make much sense (to me at least) to deliberately breed from animals that don't really have a clue about how to bring up baby.

I think woolies are notorious for being difficult to breed (or breed and then keep the offspring alive)-at least, that's what I've picked up from Monkey Life. As for the orangs, they seem to be a pretty good example of what happens if you breed from animals with no or little experiance; valuable individuals, but all but Kai have ended up hand reared and in the orang nursery.

Than again, like I mentioned, the Golden Cheeks have fared quite well for being orphans. Odd

 

That is true, though to my understanding the woolies have been quite good at breeding at monkey world i think its only three that have had to been handreared out of what i think is about 6 or 7 babies.

With kai being parent raised im hoping that the other adults in the group will watch and learn but when the next baby gets born theres still alot of risk it could be rejected.

As you said with the gibbons all three babies (?) have survived with the parents, which of course is great news.

 

I do not believe that their woolly monkeys are of a pure sub-species so not certain of their value in conservation terms .

The capuchins that came from Chile are very varied in appearance ( some almost black , others very pale , some with golden bellies ) and could well include some rare sub-species , though wild-caught animals are probably now quite old and have spent many years in lab. cages .

 

From what i`ve heard none of the Woolly Monkeys in Europe are pure so seen as Monkeyworlds are related to most of the breeding groups in Europe they must also be hybrids.