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
More than Monkeys at the Monkey Sanctuary
Visitors to the Monkey Sanctuary are now able to gain a fascinating insight into the world of the rare lesser horseshoe bat. The bats use the cellar under the house as a roost site, attracted to the warm cosy atmosphere created by the oil boiler. This warmth is very important in the summer months when females gather to give birth to their single offspring. The colony has been there for at least 20 years, emerging at night to zig zag between the enclosures and inquisitively inspect any rooms with their doors left open, particularly the monkey kitchen, which attracts hoards of fruit flies in the summer.
Lesser horseshoes are restricted to South West England and Wales, so Cornwall is an important stronghold for this endangered mammal. By the end of the summer, over a hundred bats will leave the cellar on their nocturnal search for insect prey. Aptly named, the bats have a horseshoe shaped nose and with bodies only the size of a walnut they are dwarfed by their cousin, the greater horseshoe. Populations have declined due to loss of roost sites and intensive farming methods.
A grant given by the Mammals Trust UK has enabled us to install a pan and tilt camera and infra-red lights in the cellar, which enables the public to search for the bats and zoom in for some breath taking close ups. They vigorously groom themselves to keep their fur and wings in tip-top condition and did you know they only like to hang by one leg?
Who knows what other behaviour the camera will uncover as well as giving us a fantastic way of dispelling the myths and fears about bats.
The UK has 16 species of bats, all eat insects and many rely on houses for roost sites because natural roosts, such as old trees have been destroyed. All bat roosts are protected by law, even if the bats are not present. It is vital for British bats to have public support, for without it they will disappear from our night skies.
For more information about bats contact the Bat Conservation Trust's National Bat Helpline: 0845 1300228
