Our golden rule at our sanctuary is that no monkey lives alone. All primates (including humans!) need company to thrive. For almost all the monkeys rescued by the sanctuary, having companions is a new experience as they have usually been kept in isolation, whether in a home, a laboratory, or other exploitative situation.
A large part of our team’s work with new arrivals is to help them to make friends and give them the social opportunities that they never had before. We also work to ensure that existing residents have their needs met as relationships change over time. Just like with humans, monkey friendships can turn sour and happy partnerships can become fractious, meaning that we need to find new social options for those who no longer see eye to eye.
In recent months, we have been happy to see Lyla, a monkey rescued back in 2023, finally settle into a firm friendship with elderly rhesus macaque, Eddie. Lyla was kept in a filthy dog crate for seven years, and her path to friendship was long and challenging. Her fear of other monkeys would often manifest as aggression, and she just didn’t seem to be happy with the multiple monkeys we had tried to introduce her to. Thankfully, it seems that we finally found a partnership that makes Lyla feel safe. It is such a joy to see the pair enjoying each other’s company.
Easier journeys have included the successful introduction of 2024 rescue, Pablito, with Dawkins – an existing resident who has always struggled to maintain relationships in the past. Dawkins is the largest Rhesus macaque at the sanctuary and Pablito is one of the smallest. This, in and of itself, could cause issues as Dawkins could easily dominate his small friend. So far though, we have seen nothing but love between the two, who can often be found lazing around in the sunshine together or happily grooming one another.
With new arrival, Wally, beginning his socialization in the coming months, we hope that he too will find company of his own kind in the not-too-distant future.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Liz
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