Gambit, the Brave Explorer

Sex: Male

Year Born: 2016

Year arrived at Sanctuary: 2021

Species: Rhesus macaque

Favorite Food: Avocados and peanuts

Likes: Exploring his new home, learning to climb and jump on ropes, meeting monkeys for the first time.

Gambit was a baby when he was sold into the pet trade and purchased in Las Vegas, NV. In his first year, he was treated like a human infant: cuddled, fed with a bottle, dressed in clothes. But, as he got older, he started to assert his dominance as monkeys do in the natural world. Just as he needed space to mature, he was forced into smaller confines to stop his natural tendencies. He was put in a small parrot cage and not let out for three years. The formerly coddled boy would spin in circles over and over again as a sign of stress from loneliness and boredom.

His original owner had a change in circumstance and passed Gambit to another family member. The new family owners knew that they could not give the young monkey the life he deserved. They asked Born Free USA for help and we happily welcomed Gambit to the sanctuary in July 2021.

Since then, Gambit has been settling into his new life. He saw other monkeys for the first time and began learning how to use his muscles to climb and play in his large enclosure. We are delighted to see that his serious stress-related behaviors, such as spinning in circles, have almost completely stopped. We are looking forward to supporting Gambit as he recovers, makes friends, and discovers how to be a monkey.

Would you help him on his journey?

If you adopt Gambit, consider also adopting Kiki, another monkey rescued from the pet trade.