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
Murrayton House
Murrayton House was built around 1854 and extended in 1865. Built to the design of the patron William Murray, it remains, despite 20th century alterations and extensions, a good example of a 'gothic cottage' architecture and is now a Grade II listed building. The Murrayton estate was originally larger, including stables, chapel, gardeners cottage, lodge and orchard as well as a private beach.
The estate passed from the Murray family in the late 1930's and since then has had various owners. Colonel Warren grew flowers here commercially; Mr. Hancock ran Murrayton as a hotel; Mr. Scruton, a bone doctor, started a health farm and Len Williams bought it in 1964 from a farmer, Mr. Moffitt.
What we now call Monkey Room 1 was used by Mr. Murray as his office and library. The room above, now The Monkey Lounge, was where the children ate their meals. The Sanctuary's office was the laundry room and Monkey Room 2 was the creamery. Leisure time might be spent playing tennis on the court where now the monkeys swing in the gym enclosure.
The house, which was built for a big family- Mr Murray's second marriage produced 10 children- is now the home for 10 keepers and a team of volunteers. On top of that it is surrounded by a colony of monkeys, two flocks of chickens and a variety of local wildlife including rabbits, squirrels and the rare horseshoe bats that live in the cellars.
