ChongoChongo, a male rhesus macaque, was surrendered to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in 2012. Even at only three years old, he had already escaped his enclosure several times and had bitten a boy badly enough to require hospital care.[teaserbreak]
He had been reared as a pet, was addicted to junk food, and was highly socialized with humans. He had no fear of humans or monkeys, and seemed to think he was the alpha over everyone else.
Staff worked with Chongo to convert him over to a proper monkey diet. However, in 2013, we began to see signs of regurgitation, diarrhea, and weight loss. We took him in for x-rays where we discovered the cause of his problems: an enlarged esophagus. He was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and was placed on medicine that would help (but not cure) the disease.
Chongo improved slightly over the next year and a half, but was still having trouble with adequate food intake. He also suffered joint soreness that can accompany the disease. Our new veterinarian, Dr. Kathleen Johnson, began an intense and specific regimen with him, designed to make sure he gets all the calories he needs while allowing the medications to have the best effect possible.
Our annual costs for Chongo’s care are as follows:
Nutritional supplementation: $1,200
Periodic radiographs to monitor esophagus: $600
Medications: $800
Veterinary exams/monitoring: $2,240
Total annual cost for care: $4,840
Over the last three months, Chongo has bloomed! He’s put on much-needed weight, and he now jumps and runs like a healthy young rhesus monkey should.
Though he will likely have to be on medications the rest of his life, Chongo’s future is much brighter, thanks to the efforts and patience of our hard-working staff and the dedication of Dr. Johnson.
If you’d like to contribute to Chongo’s care, visit www.bornfreeusa.org/sanctuaryfund. Your support is very much appreciated!
For the primates,
Tim
Dear Reader,