Rescue Monkeys from Lives of Abuse

Eleven monkeys saved in 2025!

2025 was a busy year for the team at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary. While ensuring the highest standard of care for our existing 200+ residents, we also welcomed eleven newcomers. Rescued from a variety of backgrounds – terrible roadside zoos, laboratories, and the pet trade – these eleven monkeys will now be safe from harm as they live out their days under our care.

Meet the new arrivals!

Wally

We introduced Wally the Rhesus macaque to you in our last update, and we are delighted to report that he is loving life with his best friend, Pablito; a rhesus macaque also rescued from the pet trade. During the hot summer months, Wally spent time swimming around his pool to cool off and, as the weather got colder, he could be found cuddling with his friend to stay cozy.

Saimiri (Miri)

Saimiri is possibly the smallest monkey we have ever rescued. At a little over a year old when he came to us, this tiny vervet monkey was abandoned outside the house of a wildlife rehabilitator in Louisiana. He was found crying on the doorstep in a small cat crate and was soon transferred to us. Miri should be under the loving care of his mother and wider troop, but monkeys sold into the pet trade are denied this and, instead, are torn from their mothers at a few days or weeks old to be sold. While we cannot change the past, we can offer Miri a bright future. He was very quickly taken under the wings of some of our older vervets, who adopted him as one of their own. Miri loves running, jumping, and climbing in his large tree-filled enclosure.

Blue, Bear, Calliope, Zeus, and Monet

The “Oregon Five” were rescued from a roadside zoo that had been closed following various legal violations. Two vervets (Blue and Bear) and three baboons (Calliope, Zeus, and Monet) were part of the enormous confiscation effort to provide safe homes for more than 300 animals. We were delighted to welcome them in June.

Since their arrival, the three baboons have joined an existing group of three – who were also rescued from a roadside zoo back in 2020 – and life is going well for them. They swiftly settled in and made friends. After a short while the six were inseparable and have already established firm friendships.

Likewise, Blue and Bear settled in quickly to one of our vervet groups. Bear is the social butterfly of the pair and immediately threw herself into socializing with everyone. Blue was a little more reserved and took some time to come out of his shell but is now in the thick of things as he feels more secure.

Scotty

Kept illegally as a pet for many years, Japanese macaque, Scotty, was confiscated in mid-2025. Of all of our new arrivals, Scotty has taken more time to feel safe and comfortable with other monkeys. This is common for ex-pets who have likely not seen or interacted with others of their own kind since they were taken from their mothers. At our sanctuary, we provide individualized care which includes giving them the space and time they need to settle in. Scotty is currently living alongside two other Japanese macaques – Helena and Shylo – and we are seeing him grow in confidence bit by bit. We are looking forward to continuing to help him in his journey of recovery.

Izzy, Dee Dee, and Little Foot

Dee Dee and Izzy are adult baboons formerly exploited in a laboratory. Little Foot is Dee Dee’s tiny year-old daughter. We know nothing about the three baboons’ lives before they were welcomed into our care but the two adults came to us each with one of their back legs amputated. Whether this was part and parcel of the experiments they were subjected to or for medical reasons, we will never know. Despite their limb differences, they both get around just fine, which is a testament to their adaptability and tenacity. Little Foot is, thankfully, healthy and her age suggests to us that she was probably not used directly in experiments, for which we are grateful. At the time of writing, the three have just completed their mandatory quarantine and are loving exploring their new large living space. We look forward to them eventually being integrated into one of existing baboon groups when they are ready.

Each rescue we carry out requires significant resources, as we commit to caring for each monkey we welcome for the rest of their lives. With your support, we can move into 2026 knowing that, when we are called upon to help, we can offer a new life to more monkeys in need.