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

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The Monkeys - woolly capuchin

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About Woolly Monkeys

About Capuchin Monkeys

Wildzone - all about capuchins and woollies

Monkey Rehabilitation Programme

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Mister Monkey Moves In!

On July 16th, The Monkey Sanctuary welcomed a new resident. Mister Monkey, a young hybrid black-capped capuchin, has been kept as a pet in a back yard in the midlands for all of his seven and a half years. Like many other monkeys in the cruel UK pet trade, he was bred in Britain and sold to unsuspecting owners who were ill-prepared to care for him. His parents were sold to another UK breeder some years ago, leaving Mister Monkey alone.

Mister Monkey’s owners contacted The Monkey Sanctuary Trust after they decided to emigrate and could Mister Monkey settles in not take their pet with them. A capuchin monkey can live to 40 years of age and is a lifetime commitment.

Mister Monkey will join five other rescued black-capped and four ex-pet weeper capuchins already at the Sanctuary near Looe. It is hoped that, as he is similar in age to another black-capped capuchin, Charlie Brown, they will eventually enjoy playing together. However, meeting other monkeys can be very difficult for monkeys who have been kept alone. They have few social skills, and rehabilitation into a group can be a slow and painful process. Introductions take patience and time. Once Mister Monkey has settled in, his keepers will begin ‘supervised visits’, ensuring the monkeys do not get too stressed and things don’t get out of hand.

Mister Monkey stopped off for a full veterinary check on his way down south. His owners had already found a vet to file down his sharp canine teeth and castrate him, in a bid to control his behaviour. Luckily, Mister Monkey had no further dental problems, despite being fed sugary sweets and chocolate!

Mister Monkey is doing well, getting used to his new surroundings, a healthy diet of fruit and veg and the curious approaches of his new monkey friends.

There are now ten rescued ex-pet capuchin monkeys at The Monkey Sanctuary Trust, and eight Amazonian woolly monkeys. Mister Monkey is one of the lucky ones. Sadly, there are an estimated 3000 monkeys still kept as pets in the UK; many kept alone with no prospect of company.

The Monkey Sanctuary Trust would like to see the UK monkey pet trade made illegal and extend its rescue centre to help more pets like Mister Monkey. Read more about the campaign...