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.

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Spring 2002

Spring is here!

This is must be the monkey’s favourite time of year. The warmer and longer days make an enormous difference to the monkeys’ daily lives. As the leaves come out on the trees and the grass grows, the insects reappear and monkeys’ get busy finding their favourite delicacies. This currently includes wild garlic, young rose buds, bumblebees and even the odd chaffinch or two!

Len the youngest member of the group is becoming more independent of his mum Lucy The winter has been calm with few arguments between colony members and all the woollies are greeting the spring with a fine bill of health.

Len the youngest member of the group is becoming more independent of his mum Lucy. He will be three years old and is currently enjoying burning energy playing with his older brother Caju and chasing daffodils carried in his tail.

Lucy and her family were the first of the woollies to spot Peppy, the new capuchin. Len was most alarmed, clinging to his mothers back and Lucy was indulgent in allowing him to take a ride in spite of his growing size and weight.

Generally the woollies were much calmer about the latest arrival than they were about seeing Frosty for the first time. For both species, the presence of the other produces much interest and thought!

We continue to manage the colony to enable all the monkeys to cope with the fact that there are twice as many males as females. By dividing the group, changing the combinations and areas of the territory that they use, seems to allow the monkeys the choices they need. Having lost confidence last autumn, Ivor recently elected to visit Pele for the first time in months and they met calmly without incident.