Rescue Monkeys from Lives of Abuse

Zambia Primate Project (ZPP), a Wildlife Rescue Program managed by Games Rangers International (GRI), has the mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release back to the wild orphaned and injured vervet monkeys and baboons that are victims of the illegal wildlife trade or injured due to human intervention. Born Free helped to establish this project back in 2009 and has been a long-term funder ever since. 

Many primates that ZPP rescues are victims of the wildlife trade in Zambia. The mothers are taken for their meat, and their babies sold into the illegal pet trade. As the babies grow and develop sharp canine teeth, they are held captive using short, tight ropes tied around their waists, often tormented and harassed by people and village dogs. Over the years, ZPP team members have been involved in the rescue and release of hundreds of primates in Zambia. The survival rate of the primates released currently averages between 85% and 100% at 12 months post-release, making ZPP one of, if not the, most successful primate release projects in the world. 

One of the contributing factors of this impressive survival rate is predator avoidance training that each release group receives as part of their rehabilitation as they are prepared to be returned to the wild. Rehabilitation does not only involve the medical or physical treatment of a rescued animal, but also active teaching so that these animals develop latent or lost skills necessary for independent survival in the wild. One of the vital skills for primate survival in the wild is appropriate responses to predators. Antipredator behaviour reduces the probability of an individual or its kin being killed. However, the pre-release troops at ZPP mostly comprise of orphans and victims of illegal pet trade. Many, if not all, of these primates have been isolated from predators, either partially or throughout their lifetime having been taken from their mothers and the wild at such a young age they did not have the opportunity to learn this behaviour. In general, antipredator behaviour must be functional when a predator is first encountered, however animals can improve their response with experience. It is for this reason that ZPP always conduct predator avoidance training as a key strategy in ensuring that their release troops have sufficient survival skills.  

Predator avoidance training is conducted by presenting model snakes and leopards to the group pre-release while playing audio of appropriate alarm calls. As much as possible humans remain hidden during this training, but researchers are present in order to record how each individual responds. To present a leopard to the troops a fake leopard is hidden within some temporary bushes by the enclosure and then pulled out on a sled with a long wire with the team hidden at the far end of the enclosure, this is coupled with a playback of leopard call to intensify the experience. For the snake training a rubber snake is also pulled along the side of the enclosure on a long wire, again so that humans are not seen alongside the threat which could skew their response. The aim is that most individuals respond by retreating to the trees, utilising the smallest branches (upon which a leopard could not climb) while some of the adults exhibit protective behaviour and elicit alarm calls. 

Links:

• https://www.bornfree.org.uk/rescue/zambia-primate-project/

In the last 18 months, Born Free USA has rescued four former “pet” monkeys. The non-profit works tirelessly towards ending the cruel trade in primates as pets by providing lifetime sanctuary to its victims and lobbying for a federal ban. Read on to find out about the 175-acre sanctuary’s newest residents:

Lyla is a young Rhesus macaque found in some of the worst conditions our staff had ever seen. Confiscated from a hoarding situation, she had spent seven long years in a tiny, filthy dog crate. On arrival at the sanctuary, Lyla was suffering from stress related behaviors known as stereotypies. She would pace her enclosure and spin in circles; disturbing behaviors which spoke to her past trauma. As time passed, these behaviors diminished, and she is now embarking on her new journey of making monkey friends for the first time in her life.

Gizmo the vervet monkey was surrendered by his owner after an attack on a family member. Purchased when he was a baby, Gizmo gradually became more aggressive and dangerous as he got older. This ended in the attack, which led to 18 stitches in the man’s head and shoulder. It took two adults to pull Gizmo off him.

Since his arrival at the sanctuary, Gizmo has settled into a social group with other vervet monkeys. He now lives in a large, open-top enclosure and spends his days socializing with his new friends and exploring his expansive space.

Pablito the Rhesus macaque was spotted running free around Texas border town, Laredo. He was hit by a car and suffered significant head injuries. Incredibly, he survived his ordeal and arrived at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in March of 2024. He quickly settled in and has now been paired with long-term resident, Dawkins. It is illegal to keep monkeys as pets in Laredo which is perhaps why his former owner never came forward. He is now safe under our care.

Julian the Japanese macaque arrived in March 2024. Little is known about his background, other than that he was kept as a pet and then confiscated by law enforcement. As a youngster of around five years old, we were confident that he would integrate well into a social group. We chose to introduce him to the large troop of fifty monkeys living in one of our multi-acre enclosures. We were delighted when, after a careful process of letting him meet selected individuals, Julian was let out into the large space and very quickly settled in. He now roams freely in five acres with trees, brush, ponds, and – most importantly – friends.

While rescuing monkeys from the pet trade changes the lives of those individuals forever, we can only rescue a tiny number of the thousands kept as pets in the United States. We continue to work hard to see the Captive Primate Safety Act introduced. This law would ban the keeping of primates as pets on a national level and end the suffering of monkeys like Lyla, Gizmo, Pablito, and Julian.

Links:

• Born Free USA Official Website