Monkey Sanctuary Trust is a unique environmental charity dedicated to:
- Woolly monkey welfare, including the welfare, conservation and survival of primates, particularly woolly monkeys and capuchin monkeys.
- Capuchin monkey welfare, including Working to end the primate and monkey trade and abuse of primates and monkeys in captivity.
- Conserving natural habitats of woolly and capuchin monkeys through education and sustainable living.
- monkey rescue, including promoting the rehabilitation of rescued woolly and capuchin monkeys and primates to natural habitats.
Woolly Monkey - what is it?
The woolly monkey (lagothrix lagothricha) is one of the largest and most beautiful of the South American primates. They live in the middle and upper Amazon basin to the west of the rivers Negro and Tapajos. There are four recognised sub-species of woolly monkey. These are mountain or long-haired woolly monkey (lagothrix lagothricha lugens), the brown woolly monkey (lagothrix lagothricha poepiggii), the grey woolly monkey (lagothrix lagothricha cana) and the brown-headed woolly monkey (lagothrix lagothricha lagothricha).
Woolly monkeys are arboreal (meaning tree-dwelling), spending most of their time high in the canopy of the trees and rarely venturing to the forest floor.
Woolly monkeys have evolved in a way which enables them to exploit this tree-top niche, to travel easily along narrow limbs, to reach nuts, seedpods and fruits at the end of branches, to leap between gaps safely and even to sleep securely 150 feet above the ground.
Capuchin Monkey - what is it?
Capuchins were named after capuchin monks because the dark fur that forms a cap on their heads and extends down in 'side-burns' resembles the cowl or headdress of the capuchin priests.
Capuchin monkeys are one of the most intelligent and adaptable of all South American primates. The first capuchins (Cebus species) appeared 16.3 million years ago in South America and, like all monkeys capuchin monkeys share about 97% of their DNA with humans. All capuchin species are neotropical, in other words capuchin monkeys are mainly found in northern and central South America. Within this range only the howler monkey is as widespread, and the black-capped capuchin or tufted capuchin has the widest distribution of any new world monkey, as capuchin monkeys are found in every South American country except Uruguay and Chile.
Monkey Sanctuary Trust is based at The Monkey Sanctuary in Looe, Cornwall, UK. The Monkey Sanctuary is home to a social colony of Woolly monkeys and a group of rescued ex-pet Capuchin monkeys. The Trust provides advice and support for primate, woolly and capuchin monkey rescue centres and sanctuaries around the world.
Each year the Monkey Sanctuary Trust educates thousands of visitors on monkey life in the wild and in captivity, on the ethics and problems of captivity for woolly monkeys, about ideas for rehabilitation as well as other animal welfare and conservation issues for woolly and capuchin monkeys.
Monkey Sanctuary Trust Home page
The Monkey Sanctuary Trust's Work
History of the Monkey Sanctuary
Contact the monkey sanctuary
Support the woolly monkeys
Adopt a woolly or capuchin Monkey
International Adoptions of capuchin monkeys
Donate to help woolly monkeys
Volunteer to help the Monkay Sanctuary
Become a woolly monkey Keeper for the Day
Jobs at the monkey sanctuary
The Monkeys - woolly capuchin
The Bats that live alongside the woolly monkeys
Woolly monkey Rehabilitation Programme
About Woolly Monkeys
About Capuchin Monkeys
Wildzone - all about capuchins and woollies
Monkey Rehabilitation Programme
Monkey Sanctuary Visits and Talks
Monkey Sanctuary - Educational Resources
Sanctuary Links
Latest News and Campaigns about monkeys
Monkey rescue Newsletters
Woolly News Archive
capuchin Campaign Archive
Opening Times at the Sanctuary
Sanctuary Monkeys
Sanctuary bats
Monkey sanctuary shop
Sanctuary house
Sanctuary gardens
Monkey sanctuary Tree Top Cafe
Become a Keeper for the Day
The Monkey Sanctuary Trust invites you to come and experience being a Primate Keeper for a day…
During our open season (April-October) we run full day experiences for those who have always wanted to know what it is like to be a Primate Keeper. This unique experience involves activities such as the preparation of woolly and capuchin monkey food, cleaning enclosures, making items to interest and 
entertain the monkeys (enrichment), listening to talks given by experienced Keepers, lunch, tea and cakes at our vegetarian café and taking guided tours of the woolly and capuchin enclosures with an experienced Keeper to hear about the histories and personalities of each individual monkey at the Sanctuary.
Working closely with experienced Keepers you will gain a behind-the-scenes insight into their roles and responsibilities at the Sanctuary and become involved in important aspects of the monkeys’ lives.
As a ‘hands on’ experience you will be expected to work alongside the trained primate team with their day-to-day tasks in all weather conditions. There is no direct contact between Keepers for a Day and the monkeys.
Included in the Keeper for a Day experience is:
- A full day’s one-to-one supervision and training by experienced members of the primate team.
- A Certificate of your day and photos of the monkeys
- Friends of The Monkey Sanctuary Trust membership - members receive regular updates, a badge, a car sticker and a photo of one of our monkeys.
- A Monkey Sanctuary T-Shirt
- A free guest ticket for one person to enter the Sanctuary after 11am
- Lunch at The Tree Top Café and a coffee and cake break at The Tree Top Café
If you have a disability, please contact us so we can adapt the programme to your needs. 
For insurance purposes, the scheme is only available to those aged sixteen years and over.
This unique opportunity to be a primate keeper for a day is only £150 per person or £250 for two people.
If you would like further information then please contact: keeperforaday@monkeysanctuary.org or call 01503 262 532.
