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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The Monkeys - woolly capuchin

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About Woolly Monkeys

About Capuchin Monkeys

Wildzone - all about capuchins and woollies

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Winter 2001

Frosty

Last year a new rescue project was launched at The Monkey Sanctuary with the aim of providing a permanent home for South American primates rescued from poor conditions in Britain.

Frosty - The first rescued monkey arrived 31 August On 31st August the first rescued monkey arrived at the Sanctuary. Frosty is a nine-year-old male black capped Capuchin who has spent the last few years living alone in a small cage in Norfolk. The Monkey Sanctuary Trust successfully raised the funds for Frosty's enclosure which contains a network of ropes, branches and platforms designed to provide mental and physical stimulation. As a result of his previous living conditions Frosty is a little overweight and quite unfit with a tendency toward neurotic pacing and head tilting at times of high anxiety, so Sanctuary staff are working to ensure that his life is as interesting, stimulating and stress-free as possible.

Frosty is responding well to his new environment and is proving to be quite a confident and laid back personality. He has a good appetite and enjoys eating seeds, nuts and insects though he was particularly pleased to be given a tasty cob of corn. His facial expressions are very different to those of the woolly monkeys and he invites direct eye contact. If he is nervous or alarmed he will respond with a wide grin, revealing very impressive canines and raised eyelids!

Building work has now begun to extend the new Capuchin territory so that space will be available to house more Black-caps. The Trust is already aware of at least seven more in desperate need of Sanctuary and it is hoped that the rescued individuals may in time be able to form a social group and begin to repair some of the damage caused by years of neglect. Many thanks for all the support already given.