Our Work - Rescue and Rehabilitation

Our rescue and rehabilitation work is carried out at our sanctuary, based in Looe, Cornwall. Founded in 1964, The Monkey Sanctuary has a well-established reputation for offering outstanding levels of welfare and innovative care management for all of its primate residents.

The need for rescue and rehabilitation of primates from private ownership:

  • Currently over 5,000 non-human primates kept privately in the UK.
  • All monkeys are wild animals and inherently unsuitable for keeping in domestic situations.
  • UK law allows for the legal keeping of primates as pets, despite lack of recognised care standards and insufficient enforcement of licensing laws, leading to many pet primates being kept in inadequate
    conditions.
  • Lack of adequate species knowledge, diet, veterinary care, social opportunity and space leads to mental, physical and emotional suffering for pet primates.

 

Coco and Chanel                 Rescued Capuchins                Missy - Rescued Capuchin

How we meet the need:

  • We guarantee a home for life for all rescued monkeys.
  • We give individuals the opportunity to socialise and form natural bonds with other monkeys.
  • We provide an expert team of carers with the relevant skills to meet the complex physical, social and emotional needs of each individual.

  • We have a high carer-to-monkey ratio which ensures that all needs are met, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.


Signs of our success in rescue and rehabilitation:

  • 24 monkeys rescued since 2001
  • All rescued monkeys arrived at the sanctuary demonstrating serious stereotypical behaviours such as pacing, rocking, self-harming and overeating, amongst others. All monkeys, without exception, have reduced or abandoned these behaviours since arrival.
  • Rescued capuchin monkeys now form three stable and permanent social groups.
  • Woolly monkeys live in long-established and stable social group.
  • Rescued macaques' social behaviour and physical wellbeing showing vast improvement since their arrival in 2008.

 

The Monkey Sanctuary opens its doors to visitors every year from Easter through to the end of October. Please visit www.monkeysanctuary.org for visitor information.