Jungle Friends Monkeyshines

Update On Little Dodger

2012-01-07T03:48:00.000-08:00

I just left Dodger and he is doing great! We had a bit of a set back Thursday, as he was constipated and refusing food. After a few rounds of fluids, and enema and some good loving care, Dodger had a great poop, urinated and started eating again. Whew! Our brave boy ate quite a bit for Kari and Kat yesterday, mainly eggs and mealworms.

He was doing really good on Wednesday, as you can see for yourself in this video. Yesterday he was more active than Thursday. He got some time to bask in the sun and visit his girlfriend, Isabelle! Another video is soon to come!

We really appreciate your compassion for Little Dodger and greatly appreciate your continued support. Thank you so much for your prayers, healing thoughts, reiki energy and for the donations to our Memorial Medical Fund!

Update on Little Dodger

2012-01-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here with Dodger on this chilly morning as his is resting with a belly full of ensure, mealworms and glucose. He seems much better today and even walked around a bit! His weight went up from 212 grams yesterday morning to 226 grams this morning. Every little bit gained is great!

We have a wonderful care staff working hard to nurse this tough little guy back to health. Lee has been giving Dodger fluids three times a day. Kat has been his nursemaid for the past two days. Kari ahs been in and out during the day and throughout the night to feed, weigh, and give healing energy and love to him. Today I am his nursemaid.

As I watch him sleep, listening to healing chants being played on the stereo, I can't help but think about all the Jungle Friends supporters out there who are sending their love and healing thoughts and prayers for little Dodger. There are prayer circles out there for him and people sending healing light, love and health for our little fighter. Sitting here I can feel all the love and thoughts surrounding him and hope he feels it too.

All of us here, especially Dodger, thank you for your support. We are not out of the woods just yet, but hopefully we are well on our way! Please continue to send love, light, prayers, healing thoughts, or anything you can do to help us get this little guy back to health!

ARZone Podcasts: ARZone's Greatest Hits Vol. 1.

2011-12-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

ARZone Podcasts: ARZone's Greatest Hits Vol. 1.: Welcome to Vol. 1 of ARZone's Greatest Hits in which we present highlights from past shows. In this podcast, we feature clips from ARZone ...

A Special Visit From the Animal Warriors

2011-11-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

Jungle Friends had an extra special visit yesterday from the amazing Animal Warriors! The Animal Warriors are a group of dedicated animal advocates who volunteer at various sanctuaries. Since they know how to work around wild animals and are hardworking, they are a real treat to have here!

Jennifer Ruszczyk and Lauren Ebanks arrived in the morning ready for action. Wanting to take advantage of their creativity and experience working with all kinds of animals in various settings, we asked them to put together enriching and creative props that we could grab when cleaning a habitat.

They seized the opportunity to make hose ladders for us, which are a great addition to any habitat and one the monkeys always love. Lauren and Jennifer, with the help of regular volunteer Jessica Grady, went around to our many trees and, using their strong muscles (who needs men!), cut down the limbs needed. They were always being supervised by our residents to make sure the proper limbs were cut.

In no time the ladies had a ladder put together. Making hose ladders are not as easy as these gals make it look, and they put it together so quickly! Wow!

We absolutely love having the Animal Warriors here. Can't wait for their next visit in January!!! A big thanks to the Animal Warriors from all of us here at Jungle Friends, and especially the monkeys!!

Why I love to come to Jungle Friends and Volunteer

2011-11-26T08:22:00.001-08:00

Note: This is a guest blog update written by long time Jungle Friends volunteer Shannon Douglas Smith. He has been an invaluable member of the Jungle Friends family for over ten years now.

Why I love to come to Jungle Friends and Volunteer

by Shannon Douglas Smith

This place is magical. It has a certain aura that makes you want to be a part of
a grand plan for helping these little furry creatures, and there is way more to it
than just the animals. The people here have purpose and a presence of being
in service, not servitude, that creates a whole community of caring persons. And
they will care about you, immediately, even for just being here.

Shannon hard at work.

Certainly there is a lot of hard work that must be done, for it is a very complex
system that must take care of so many animals that can’t do so for themselves.
There is however, a multitude of support systems for the workers, and helping to
keep those running is where I fit myself in.

I tell people I am here to make life easier for the people who make life easier
for the monkeys. By making things easier, what it really amounts to for the
caretakers, is being able to get more done each day before the sun sets. So I try
to fix things that break, service and improve various equipment, repair appliances
and do mostly mechanical support to make things run more efficiently.

I am not here to work with the monkeys directly and I much prefer it that way.
Amazingly, whenever I show up the little guys just go crazy screaming at the
sight of me, knowing I belong there and greeting me like their long lost friend!

Becoming a volunteer at Jungle Friends when I first started ten years ago,
seemed like it was going to be just some mundane ‘feel-good’ work, to be able
to claim to others that yes, I do volunteer work, so that must make me somehow
more admirable. But as I learned more and grew into my self-styled function
as Mister Fixit, I have become very fulfilled, feeling so much appreciation from
everyone and wishing my ‘regular’ job was so rewarding. Anyone can come and
find out where they would like to fit in.

Being here is synergistic; the ‘whole’ that you become is greater than the sum of
the parts. Jungle Friends will change you. And you will like what you become.

Simon Meets Brett Douglas!!

2011-11-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Simon, one of our beloved squirrel monkeys, got a special treat today... he got to meet his favorite radio DJ Brett Douglas from KISS 105.3!!!! Simon LOVES Brett's morning show. The first morning task at Jody's Jungle is to turn on KISS 105.3 so that Simon does not miss a minute of Brett's show. We finally got in touch with Brett and told him all about Simon and Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary. Brett was so excited to hear all about his biggest little fan and couldn't wait to meet Simon!

MonkeyMobile away!

Brett arrived just after finishing his morning broadcast eager to meet his fan. He was greeted by Kari and Jungle Friends apprentice (and Simon's dance partner) Shira. After signing in, we whisked him away to Squirrelville in the MonkeyMobile.

Simon knows Brett by voice and had never met the man... until now. We were all a little shocked at Simon's first reaction to meeting Brett. Simon is normally loud, energetic and inquisitive. When Brett walked up and started talking to Simon, Simon became very shy and starstruck. He sat in one of his hammocks and just looked at Brett, seeming to think "why is this voice I love so much coming from this man and not the radio?"

Starstruck Simon hid away at first (circled in red)

Simon's shyness quickly dissolved and he was eager to check out his favorite radio DJ. Simon even did some of his famous backflips for Brett! After no time Brett and Simon were best of friends. Brett can't wait to come back to hang out with Simon and his friends again and neither can Simon! Thanks Brett and KISS 105.3 for everything!

Brett poses with the new Morning Show Mascot, Simon

Volunteer Saturday, Nov. 19th

2011-11-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

The monkey medical procedures are complete, but there is never a dull moment at Jungle Friends. On weekends we get most of our volunteers, and they are hard at work today remodeling a habitat.

The Enchanted Forest Habitat

Every now and then while cleaning a habitat, we give them a good remodeling and replanting. The habitat getting a facelift today is "The Enchanted Forest," which is currently the domain of Angel, a brown capuchin. Volunteers Mary Kay, Josh, Cherry, Katie, Becky and Jason are the ones putting some elbow grease into this habitat, as well as Jungle Friends intern Brittany.

This involves raking and mulching the ground cover, replanting plants, and making minor repairs where necessary, as well as hanging buckets and barrels and all the other things the monkeys like to play on.

Whitney and Shira cleaning with the volunteers

When the job was done, the volunteers received a guided tour of the sanctuary by JF Intern Shira.

Volunteers are essential to the daily operations of Jungle Friends and we couldn't do this without them. If you would like to volunteer, please visit the Jungle Friends volunteer page for more information. Thanks so much everyone! More pictures from today's habitat remodeling below.

L to R: Intern Brittany, and volunteers Katie, Cherry, Becky
and Josh.

V-day Part 3 and A1C tests

2011-11-17T08:28:00.001-08:00

Don't let the long canines fool you -
Spaz is a very happy boy!

V-Day 2 Afternoon
We blogged about the vasectomy procedures done in the early part of the tuesday. Everything went faster than expected and it turned out that we could squeeze more operations into the afternoon. The afternoon group consisted of Arie (marmoset), Willy (tamarin), CB, Manson and Mochi (all brown capuchins) and Spazz, a white-faced capuchin.

These fellows were all on their best behavior and everything went according to plan. They have all since recovered and have been released back to their homes. No more babies for us!

A1C Tests

Humans and Monkeys use the same
test device.

With the all the vasectomies done, we moved on to A1C tests fr our diabetic monkeys. All of the diabetic monkeys are brown capuchins. Sadly, monkey diabetes is a real thing, brought on by the poor nutrition they received when they were kept as 'pets.' A1C tests results reflect average blood sugar levels and are a way to track how well blood sugar is managed -- and some of them were doing very well! Connie, Meko, Buddy and Tessa especially were all much better than expected.

Connie has been on insulin for many years and has been resistant. We have been raising the amount of insulin over the years. But we are now happy to report that her test results were wonderful.

Meko is on glipizide right now, but his glucose was so low, and his A1C test so great, that we will begin weaning him off of glipizide and manage his diabetes with diet alone.

When Tessa arrived, she had VERY high glucose -- she was close to death. She has however been off of insulin now for a year and a half, and is also managed by diet. Our hunch is that much of her recovery has to do with her beautiful relationship with Mario -- her soul mate!

Buddie was also on insulin when she arrived at the sanctuary, but thanks to careful dieting we have managed her diabetes for five years. Her A1C test was especially good.

YOU can help Jungle Friends keep these monkeys healthy by donating to the Gizmo Medical Memorial Fund. Donations to the Fund are used for ongoing medical expenses in providing veterinary care for our monkeys, and to purchase medical supplies for our on-site clinic, and every dollar helps.

-Jeff

V-Day Part 2

2011-11-16T12:05:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the second round of vasectomies. It was a busy day and we got a whole lot done! We actually finished all the monkeys who needed vasectomies by the end of the day.

The day started with gathering the group of brown capuchins we call the “Motley Crew” (not the band!). This group of monkeys came to us from the Texas rescue (learn more about this group here). When baby monkeys began turning up, we knew that someone in this group was the culprit. Dr. Martino checked them all and found that all but one were intact.

One of the Crew in a squeeze cage.
The metal above it is the drop-chute

To gather them for transport, jungle friends staff used the devices we call ‘squeeze cages.’ The bachelors were walked out into the runway, and then one by one they climbed down into the cages in specially built drop-down chutes.

Dr. Martino checking up on a monkey.

At the clinic, our expert vets (who are graciously donating their time) gave them their injections and waited for the monkeys to become serene and sedated. Then the procedures began. Roddy was the first bachelor monkey to go under the knife, and we have great video of the procedure which will be uploaded soon. Until then, check out this link to our facebook photo album to our photo album, containing photographs of the procedures.

Stay tuned:there’s more info on the second half of yesterday to come, plus today’s treatment of our diabetic monkeys!

V-Day Part 1

2011-11-15T10:07:00.001-08:00

It is V-Day here at Jungle Friends, but keep your valentines for February -- Vasectomies are the order of the day. These will actually be done over the course of several days, and began yesterday. In fact, the procedures will continue through Friday, so it is really V-Week!

The three "lucky" fellas who when under the knife yesterday were Sammy, Chi Chi and Frankie. Sammy is a brown capuchin and Chi Chi and Frankie are both Weeper capuchins. (Read more about Sammy in the previous post!)

Sammy being moved thru the walkway
for transport to the clinic.

Sammy in the squeeze cage, ready for transport.

Sammy in the "waiting room"

Frankie in recovery. Hang in there little buddy!

Under the knife.

Sammy's family comes to visit.

2011-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Sammy the brown capuchin used to live in an unsuitableroadside zoo in Douglas Arizona. Sammy’s“habitat” was more like a jail cell: a hard cement floor, with no vegetation or anything naturalat all. The conditions were unfit for any animal, let alone an intelligent,sensitive creature such as a Brown Capuchin.

The zoo eventually went bankrupt and Sammy desperatelyneeded a home. Lucky for Sammy (andus!), Michael and Courtney Connolly donated the money needed to build a newhabitat. They named it “Scoo Town”,and it is filled with trees and rope “vines”, with blue sky above and green earthbelow.

Recently, the Connolly family came to visit their littleSammy boy, and he was so excited! Heespecially connected with his adopted “monkey mama” Courtney. Here are some pictures of this wonderfulvisit.

Sammy immediately took a shine to Courtney.

Mike and Sammy size each other up.

After meeting Sammy, the family toured the rest of the facility.

A troupe of primates inside a habitat.

The story of Sammy and the Connollys shows how a person can make a difference in the life of a fellow primate. Even small donations can go a long way towards building a safe, nurturing life for these abused animals. Thank you Connolly family!

The newest members of Jungle Friends family.
From left to right: Juanita, Michael, Courtney, Kari, Mike, Nicole, and Cindy.

My time at Jungle Friends

2011-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Interning at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary was the best thing I have ever done!

It is just so amazing to see how much you can make a difference in these animals’ lives by just doing the simplest of things.

I found Jungle Friends online and was immediately excited at the prospect of working there, so when I was accepted I was over the moon. I watched all the fun, monkey videos and all the guidelines to prepare myself for the summer ahead of me.

When they mean sun up till sun down, they really do mean it. The hours were long and hard although the saying is true ‘time fly’s when you’re having fun!’ But with 120 monkeys the only thing that’s constant is change (which is the sanctuaries motto).

When I first arrived, being introduced to all the monkeys was at first quite overwhelming, especially at the prospect of learning all their names, I didn’t think it was possible but it’s amazing how even after a couple days you see the differences between them. You get so easily attached to them, slowly from just having 1 favorite to them all being your favorite, how can you pick just one, it’s impossible!

I first only intended to intern for 3 months but once you leave you just can’t get enough of the place!

Although coming from England it was a bit harder to come back to America, with the whole visa business and everything. But luck was in my favour and I was able to return for 1 whole year to complete an apprenticeship!

Over the year I was able to work more closely with the monkeys, by helping with socialisations, help when the monkeys were sick or injured. This was so rewarding, especially seeing monkeys who had been on there own for years and they finally find a partner and are able to be a real monkey together.

It’s amazing how your heart just fills with joy when you walk through the yard and they scream with delight at seeing you, even if you have been away for a day, the excitement is always there, unconditional love.

Sadly in my time at Jungle Friends we lost a few dear friends, although knowing some only just a few months, they touch everyone in some way and it’s amazing how they can create a hole in some part of your life.

But life at Jungle Friends still needs to carry on; monkeys need feeding and cleaning needs to be done. I remember how people seemed so shocked on telling them about working Christmas day, how many people can be so blind to the fact that work still needs doing, monkeys still need feeding.

I feel that I have grown as a person after working at Jungle Friends and hopefully I can change people’s views on captive wild animals in the future, sharing the message that Jungle Friends works so hard for. I met some amazing people during my time at JF and wouldn't change my time there for anything.

I would recommend to anyone wanting to volunteer then Jungle Friends appeals to all and is worthwhile to anyone, no matter the age, gender or abilities. No excuses!

Office Vacancy at Jungle Friends

2011-10-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Minimum wage, no benefits, Friday and Saturday off, hours 8:30 - 5:30 with
an hour off for lunch and personal time one-week paid vacation after one
year.

Duties include:
* Assist w/ day-to-day social networking tasks (posting, managing
friends, creating content etc.) for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other
social media spaces.
* Assist office staff with filing, copying, data entry, mailings,
packing/shipping, phones, and other office tasks as needed.
* Participate in special projects such as creating newsletters, email
campaigns, or writing grants, or organizing special events.
* Run errands
* Provide assistance as needed for the Executive Director and staff
(i.e. "gopher" jobs)
* Create and edit video files and upload to YouTube.
* Participate in special projects such as creating newsletters, email
campaigns, or writing grants, or organizing special events.

Qualifications:
* Extensive experience with social media, especially Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube
* Strong computer skills, including file management and
troubleshooting.
* Commitment to animal advocacy.
* Experience with Microsoft Office and Outlook.
* Excellent verbal and written communication
* Enthusiasm to learn our philosophy, mission, history, issues
* Ability to translate the day-to-day realities and issues of our
organization into engaging stories and effective campaigns to engage and
expand our online community and support base
* Ability to establish measurements and success metrics for social
networking initiatives
* Understanding of and experience with marketing, public relations and
fundraising.

We are looking for very special people. You must be friendly and have good
communication skills, work well with others and have the ability to lead
others as well as follow. You must be even-tempered and down to earth. The
number one rule at Jungle Friends is: the well-being of the monkeys always
comes first!

http://jobview.monster.com/Office-Assistant-Job-Gainesville-FL-US-103309043.aspx

A Mother's Plea: Protect Timmy & Dylan

2011-10-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

Today I met Timmy and Dylan in my email inbox. What joy! On a day when my car broke down to the tune of $215.00, when my son is sick in the hospital, when I am failing Spanish and enduring a kidney infection, I smiled and giggled and clapped my hands like a little girl watching that video. That delight, however, turned to fury when I read that Timmy and Dylan’s owners are trying to take those precious primates away from Monkers, Mochi, and my heroes at Jungle Friends. How many chances, I wondered, did these people want to harm these innocent kidnapping victims? You see that is what pet monkeys are, kidnapped victims, occasionally kidnapped by the well-intentioned but ignorant, but kidnapped nonetheless. I know this because I nearly conspired to become a primate kidnapper myself.

Just imagine, all you Mothers out there, what it would feel like to be walking along in your neighborhood and have odd strangers appear out of nowhere, and rip your newborn from your arms!?? Realize that if you fight you are beaten, or worse, killed. Or, conversely, imagine knowing you are giving birth just to give your baby away to the same person who feeds and shelters you. Imagine the love and hatred for that person who sustains your life and still takes that which matters most to you----over and over and over again. ‘Takes a special kind of monster….

When I first fell in love with Monkeys I wanted one as a pet. I watched YouTube Monkey pet video’s until my eyes bled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDcwcPPq3RI&feature=youtu.be I studied each species and rented documentaries. I even, at the age of 45, went back to college to study psychology with a view towards primatology and behaviorism. I saved my pennies for the great day when I would bring home my very own emperor tamarin, or, perhaps a sweet little pygmy marmoset! Then I discovered Jungle Friends.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to initially feeling resentful and disdainful towards the organization. ‘buncha vegan hippies trying to tell people what they can and can’t have as pets---some sort of b/s authority just because they had a bad experience. I’d also be lying if I didn’t admit to knowing, in my heart of hearts, that they were absolutely right. So for several years now I have watched each new video, read each new e-newsletter, caught each TV show Kari has educated on. My biggest wish, beyond the health and happiness of my five adult children, is to go, one weekend soon, the 100 miles or so, to Jungle Friends to help out. If back surgery hadn’t got in the way it would have happened by now. Luckily, if back surgery had not gotten in the way, I might have bought that poor monkey before Kari and her amazing staff had properly educated me.

Today I am sending my donation. Dylan and Timmy need me more than some pet I wanted out of selfishness ever could have. Dylan and Timmy need to be protected from people like I was—selfish, self-absorbed, ungrateful and uneducated. They will never know their mother’s love, but they have this mother’s love.

Gabby Osborn

Name Our Baby Monkeys!

2011-10-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we have a few new members to our Jungle Friends Family due to some failed vasectomies.

The babies at Jungle Friends are the result of a Monkey Rescue on October 1, 2010. Michelle's little baby born on April 11, 2011, and now Elizabeth’s baby, born July 1, 2011.

As a sanctuary, Jungle Friends has a no breeding policy. So, it was quite a surprise to find expectant mothers turning up! We accepted a group of monkeys from Texas and it is now obvious that a vasectomy failed. The situation has now been remedied.

Michelle gave birth to a sweet little baby girl 4/11/11, to watch a video of baby and mama together click on the link- http://www.junglefriends.org/archive110413.shtml

Elizabeth gave birth to a lovely little boy 7/1/11, to watch a video of the two together click on the link- http://i.criticalimpact.com/vm.cfm?i=b58c246f96bb75ab

But these lovely, little babies still need names, so join our cause page and donate to suggest your names-

Donate $10 per a name suggestion or $50 for 6 name suggestions.
The winning entry winner will receive framed monkey art and photo of the newly named baby and mama AND your name suggestion will forever be with our Baby Boy or Girl Monkey forever!!!

After your Donation Entry, please email your Baby Name suggestion(s) to: info@junglefriends.org. Put "Name the Baby” on the Subject line and include your name.

To join the cause click on the link and dont forget to invite all your friends as well! http://www.causes.com/causes/543529-jungle-friends-primate-sanctuary-name-our-baby-monkey

Thanks

Volunteers Needed at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary! | Gainesville | eBay Classifieds (Kijiji) | 3813491

2011-10-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Volunteers Needed at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary! | Gainesville | eBay Classifieds (Kijiji) | 3813491

Great time at Project Nim

2011-10-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give you guys a big thank you for the fundraiser you put on. The project Nim film was terrific. I was so impressed with the fundraiser and turn out for the movie. It was a packed house! Thank you for the opportunity to meet Bob Ingersoll and the other people involved in the film being made. I look forward to attending many more fundraisers like this in the future!

http://i.criticalimpact.com/vm.cfm?i=478d8dd8066c9246

2011-09-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

http://i.criticalimpact.com/vm.cfm?i=478d8dd8066c9246

http://i.criticalimpact.com/vm.cfm?i=0e49a23232c583ff

2011-09-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

http://i.criticalimpact.com/vm.cfm?i=0e49a23232c583ff

Good News on Project Nim

2011-09-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

We have confirmed of a new special guest who will be attending the screening of Project Nim at The Hippodrome. That guest is Renee Falitz, who taught Nim much of the sign language he was well known for! Everyone is looking forward to her arrival, as I'm sure that they have many questions for her. Speaking of Project Nim, we've also had Bob Ingersoll, the man who saved Nim, was inerviewed by the people of ARZone along with Kari. The podcast of it is featured on their website, so be sure to check it out! Bob Ingersoll will also be at the screening event, so if you're in the Gainesville area, be sure to buy tickets and join the celebration! In unrelated news, one of the black-tufted marmosets here named Blair will be moved inbetween two bachelors. Momo and Mojo had better step up their game if they want to get with her! Keep checking in for more news updates! Thanks for reading.

Monkey Romance at Jungle Friends

2011-09-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

From two monkey worlds apart...

The actors--Goober, stolen from from his family in his native land and sold into research. Fiona, born in America only to be stolen from her mother's arms and sold.

The setting--Fate brought these two monkeys together at the Jungle Friends Sanctuary.

The result--A shaky start with Fiona being a little aggressive and knowing what she wanted, but Goober finally gave in to her romantic gestures of kisses and grooming. Plus even more....

As always, Goober and Fiona are looking for sponsors. Monthly contributions are needed now to help provide food shelter and loving care for these monkeys day after day. Thank you for your help. PS--Click on the Title to watch the video on YouTube.com

Project Nim and the Born to be Wild Monkey Art Exhibit

2011-08-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

Jungle Friends is VERY excited to announce the event of the season!

The Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Gainesville, FL is screening Project Nim in conjunction with Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary's Born to be Wild Monkey Art exhibit next month! We will also have a VIP (Very Important Primate) Jungle Jamboree at the Hippodrome opening night.

There will be lots of yummy vegan food, entertainment, raffles, Monkey Art auction and the bar will be open. You will also meet Robert Ingersoll, the hero of the film. The Born to be Wild Monkey Art Exhibit at the Hippodrome will run from September 20 - October 3.　The monkeys are already painting for the big event!

Project Nim runs Friday, September 23 -29 at the Hippodrome. We will feature film discussions with Robert Ingersoll (Bob) following the thought-provoking film. Bob will be staying with the monkeys at Jungle Friends during the screening.

Our VIP Jungle Jamboree fundraiser will be held at the Hippodrome opening night from 4:00 – 6:30 pm. For a donation of only $25 (or $40 per couple) you can join in the festivities and meet　Bob ‘up close and personal’. The first showing of Project Nim will be at 6:30, after the VIP Jungle Jamboree. Between shows, Bob will have a Talk Back, so all of your questions will be answered. The proceeds will go toward our Expansion Project.

Born to Be Wild Monkey Art Exhibit September 20 – October 3
Project Nim film Friday September 23 – 29 TICKETS
VIP Jungle Jamboree Friday September 23, 4 – 6:30 pm TICKETS
Art Walk Friday September 30, 7 – 10 pm

Bob Ingersoll

Talkback - Film discussions with Bob

Friday 9/23, 8:00 - 8:25
Sunday 9/25, 8:30 - 9:30
Wednesday 9/28, 6:45 - 7:45

Hippodrome show times:

Fri: 6:30, 8:30
Sat: 4:30, 6:30, 8:30
Sun: 2:30, 4:30, 7:00
Wed: 5:15, 8:00
Thu: 6:30, 8:30

Please join Bob and all of our 'Monkey People' at the Hippodrome in Downtown Gainesville – Be There or Be Square!

Join Us on Opening Night! VIP Jungle Jamboree for Project NiM at the Hipp

2011-08-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Event management for VIP Jungle Jamboree powered by Eventbrite

Jungle Friends go to the movies tonight!

2011-08-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Who: Every Jungle Friend in Gainesville
What: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Where: Regal Royal Park Stadium 16
When: Saturday, August 6 - 7:45 pm show
Dress suggestion: Jungle Friends wear!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

How many thumbs does a spider monkey have?

2011-08-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Molly's Story

An interesting question: Monkeyshines readers responded with answers ranging from zero to five!

Here is Jungle Friends' Molly, showing off her elegant hands. Spider Monkeys have four slim, elongated fingers and a vestigial thumb on each hand; they can boast of opposable big toes on their feet. They also have unusually long, strong, prehensile tails. The tail's underside is hairless, and the skin is marked with whorls and grooves - as individual as any human's thumbprint.

How to Conduct a Successful Monkey Socialization

2011-07-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Video of How to Conduct a Successful Monkey Socialization:

Safety

First gather the necessary safety equipment. For this socialization between a marmoset and a tamarin, we have prepared ourselves with the following materials:

Runway Fork:

These "forks" can be slid and locked into place in the runway. If a fight breaks out between the two monkeys while they are in the runway, we can slide a fork between them and use a second fork to create more space between the fighting monkeys.

Water:

If the two monkeys are fighting in the habitat, where we cannot separate them using forks, a safe deterrent would be water. Some monkeys are afraid of being sprayed with water, while others play in it! The goal is to get the monkeys to stop fighting so they can be safely separated. This can sometimes require entering the habitat and separating the monkeys physically.

Kevlar Gloves:

We have Kevlar Gloves that provide some protection from bites. These are for safety of the wearer when it is necessary to pull the monkeys apart and end a fight. If a fight broke out within the habitat and the monkeys did not respond to water or other distractions, the supervisor would put on the gloves, enter the habitat, separate the two monkeys as safely as possible, and place one monkey in a runway. Another supervisor would then place forks in the runway as a barrier between the two monkeys.

Before the Socialization:

Before two monkeys are socialized, there is much evidence that needs to be collected. The monkeys should initially only be given visual and auditory access to one another. If the two monkeys appear to get along from a distance, shorten the distance between them little by little over time until they are able to touch and groom each other without having full access to one another. If the two monkeys are seen interactin with one another in a positive way, such as staying near each other or grooming through the barrier (in our case a "runway fork"), final preparations such as collecting safety equipment can be conducted.

In the case of Willy the Golden Handed Tamarin and Arie the Black Tufted-ear Marmoset, there was much positive evidence to support a successful socialization. In fact, the two males had been housed and living together before their time at Jungle Friends (see more of their history here). When the distance between them was finally reduced down to one fork, they were routinely seen spending time near one another and Willy even groomed Arie through the fork! These positive signs were put to the test on day one of the socialization.

The First Day:

On June 23rd, once the fork was pulled for the first time during this socialization, the boys immediately traded habitats and scent marked different areas. After about an hour of ignoring each other and being more enthralled with the new living space, the boys were separated until the next day. (More information about Day 1 here)

The Following Days:

Days 2-9 of the socialization showed more positive signs, pointing towards successful permanent socialization in Arie and Willy's future. Each day, the amount of socialization time was increased. The only negative issues seen were that Willy may have tried to establish dominance by mounting Arie, and the approach of bad weather also caused stress between the two monkeys. Despite these instances (neither leading to a fight), the socialization continued and resulted in many positive sightings. The boys routinely groomed each other, spent the majority of their time together, and became accustomed to eating from the same food bowl. (More information and pictures here)

Final Day of the Socialization:

On day 10 of the socialization, the fork between Arie and Willy was pulled for the last time! As with the previous days, the two males were supervised (from a distance) at all times. Around 7:30 P.M. they settled down in separate habitats.They were left unsupervised overnight and checked on the next day a little after 6:00 A.M. They were still in the same spots, and there were no signs of any fights overnight. The socialization was deemed successful!

Checking on the New Couple:

Over the next few weeks, the boys were checked on periodically. They were checked on overnight on three separate occasions. On two of those nights the boys were even found sleeping in the same indoor habitat! Ever since their socialization began, no fights have occurred. This is great news because at Jungle Friends, the bond between these two monkeys will never be broken because of humans!

Now that Arie and Willy have been successfully socialized, they will be checked on daily just as the other monkeys here at Jungle Friends. They currently live in two connecting habitats, but will eventually be living in a single habitat when more monkeys arrive at Jungle Friends!

Unlucky Travels

2011-07-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

Sadly the ARC ended for us on Sunday night and we left the hotel to catch a red eye back to the sanctuary. Jane had a separate flight to catch so Kari and Mimi parted ways with her at the airport.

We should have known that we would have difficulty getting home from our luck before even boarding the plane. Mimi couldn't locate her ID (she KNEW she saw it in her purse earlier, but turns out it was the wrong one), and then Kari was stopped at security, only to find out her Coffeemate was the culprit! It was quite hilarious to see a Coffeemate container in one of the security bins going through the xray machine. Luckily our powder form non-dairy french vanilla coffee creamer was genuine and deemed safe. Everything seemed okay until we boarded the flight and we were notified the plane was having some mechanical problems. The departure was delayed an hour, meaning we missed our connecting flight out of Chicago.

So now we are stranded in O'hare International Airport for over 6 hours, while Jane is stranded in Jacksonville until we arrive later this afternoon. I guess it's time to catch up on some sleep! Keep your fingers crossed, we may need the luck!

Great News!

2011-07-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today we received an anonymous donation of 10,000 dollars!! This is a HUGE contribution to the Expansion Project which will accommodate for more abused and neglected monkeys.

It is truly motivating and inspiring to know that people are willing to help our cause and the monkeys! Many many thanks to our anonymous donor.

AR Conference

2011-07-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday's events ended with the banquet and awards ceremony, during which Mario's masterpiece was auctioned off for $2000, the second highest bid only to Paul McCartney's signed guitar! Everyone was very impressed with his artistic abilities.

Kari gave her "Running a Sanctuary" workshop at 11:30 Sunday morning. Many conference-goers attended the talk; some wanting to start their own sanctuary while others expressing a general interest in what it takes to devote one's life to the care of sanctuary animals.

At the moment, things in the exhibit hall are slowing down. While the conference will still be going on tomorrow, Kari, Mimi and Jane will be packing up the Jungle Friends display and flying back to Jacksonville, FL tonight. The monkey merchandise has raised quite a bit of money for the sanctuary so far!

Animal Rights Conference: Saturday morning

2011-07-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of the AR Conference began with free Starbucks coffee!

We attended the morning plenary, which included talks by animal behaviorist Mark Bekoff, vegan chef Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and Sam Simon, animal activist and co-creator of "The Simpsons."

Kari showed the trailer for "Broken Bonds" this morning, and thanks to some technical difficulties, had the opportunity to talk about the sanctuary, the monkeys and the message we want to send through the documentary. It was encouraging to see that many audience members were asking questions and were expressing interest in our cause.

We have already sold a number of monkey art, t-shirts, hoodies, greeting cards and necklaces at the booth and we are expecting many more people today!

Mario's beautiful artwork is also on display, which will be auctioned off later tonight at the banquet!

Animal Rights 2011 National Conference: Friday Afternoon

2011-07-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Kari, Mimi, and Jane made the trip from Jungle Friends to Los Angeles, CA for the Animal Rights National Conference yesterday morning. They have come prepared with plenty of monkey art, cards, DVDs and other goodies to raise money and attract donations for the sanctuary. So far at the conference, they have attended workshops to learn about the troubles animals face and how everyone can help! Throughout the day, one of the Jungle Friends team has been at the sanctuary's display informing visitors about Jungle Friends, the monkeys, and how they can help the sanctuary enrich the lives of these retired research monkeys and past pets (and receive some monkey art in return). On Saturday, Kari will be presenting our "Broken Bonds" trailer at the conference to attract anyone who could help put the documentary together. Also, on Sunday, Kari will be presenting "Running a Sanctuary" to those who are interested at the conference.

Guess who joined Kari and Mimi on the flight to LA! Boo!!!

Volunteer Claude is here to help too!

The hotel has been very accommodating for the conferences furry friends.

Jane, Mimi and Kari showing off the fantastic Jungle Friends display.

Conference-goers visit for Boo, but they stay for the awesome monkey art!

Mario, and several other monkey artists, collaborated to create this beautiful piece of art that will be auctioned off this Saturday.

Running for Jungle Friends

2011-07-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Primate lover, supporter of Jungle Friends, and future volunteer (when she makes it to FL from NYC) Caroll Jimenez, was in need of some motivation to get her through the 13.1 miles of the Queens NY Half Marathon this July 30th. Fortunately, the lovely primates of Jungle Friends are here to provide her with the extra push she needs. She is dedicating the effort to Jungle Friends and has asked her friends and family to sponsor her for the run by making donations to the sanctuary. You too can sponsor her by visiting her fundraising page.

New Uniform proposed for Jungle Friends Interns

2011-07-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Moved by a mysterious force, Jungle Friends Interns Mer and Becky found themselves identically dressed today. Can you tell them apart?

Snake Charming

2011-07-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, at approximately 10:28 am, intern Becky radioed intern Brittany, asking her to help her catch a snake. The snake, specifically a rat snake, was on its way from Ebi and Mickey's habitat to Andy and Carli's.

Brittany ran to get supplies from behind Rainforest, while Becky kept a watchful eye.

Becky attempted to grab the snake with the claw while Brittany tried to lure it into the bucket.

After several failed attempts, they radioed Vicky for backup.

While Vicky was on the way over, the snake started making its way into Andy and Carli's habitat. Andy was not bothered, but Carli began barking at it. So, Vicky and Becky attempted to chase it out of the habitat.

However, the snake decided to go into the bucket with absolutely no prompting.

Becky put the lid on and the snake was en route to the forest behind Munchkinland.

On the way to Munchkinland, the snake managed to pop the lid off of the bucket and escape. Since it was safely away from all of the monkeys, no recapture was attempted.

Interns tour UF veterinary hospital

2011-07-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Interns Mer, Jane, and Mimi got the opportunity to tour the veterinary hospital at the University of Florida. Dr. Darryl Heard graciously gave the girls a tour and explained what happens daily at the hospital. He even gave the girls some inside information about the University and getting accepted to vet school. The girls learned a lot and had a great time. A big thank you to our host Dr. Darryl Heard!

Goodbye Girl(s) ~ Farewell Dinner Party at Jungle Friends

2011-07-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

As at all offical Jungle Friends' activities, dogs supervised.

Happy/sad dinner party at Jungle Friends last night. The occasion was celebrating four interns’ successful completion of their summer tour at Jungle Friends. Everyone had a great time, eating the delicious (vegan!) lasagna dinner prepared by Claude, happily reminiscing about their time here and talking about what’s next in their lives – but we are so sad to see them go!

Come back again soon, Jane, Becky, Meredith & Jordan! You were such Excellent Interns!

Jane, Becky, Meredith, & Jordan show off their caregiver certifications.

Tampa crew coming up to Jungle Friends

2011-07-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Tampa group will be coming up to Jungle Friends this Sunday.
I have no idea how many people will be making the trip but we will be ready to work hard. Can't wait to see you all...and the monkeys of course!!

Sweet Time at Karma Cream

2011-07-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening was a party at the Karma Cream Cafe! Intern Becky's efforts to set up a great fundraiser were rewarded as Gainesville friends of Jungle Friends converged on the Karma Cream Cafe for dinner, dessert, and just general snacking! It was a joyous event, made even more colorful by the wall-wide display of Monkey Art.

Heartfelt thanks to our generous supporters:

Karma Cream hosted the event, contributing 20% of the purchases to Jungle Friends
Donald Cavenaugh at Central Florida Office Plus, and Trish Zylinski at Frame Factory, contributed their expertise and materials to frame all the Monkey Art displayed at Karma Cream

The monkey art will remain on display at Karma Cream for the next month. Why not stop in at Karma Cream, get something delicious, and chose a painting to take home? All donations benefit the monkeys at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary.

Off to Save the Chimps

2011-07-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, Jungle Friends interns Jordon and Jane made the 230 mile trip to the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Fort Pierce, FL. Brian, STC's Food and Safety Operations Manager, gave the interns a tour around the 200 acre sanctuary. The tour consisted of the 12 separate three-acre islands with their corresponding buildings, the office area, the diet and enrichment prep area, the water treatment facility, and the mobile vet clinic. Brian told the interns about "The Great Chimpanzee Migration," which has relocated about 200 chimps from New Mexico to Florida on a custom-built trailer and is still making the trips 10 chimps at a time. The interns were also told the story of STC's founder, the late Dr. Carole Noon. Although she never saw her dream sanctuary completed, the continuing success of the chimpanzee sanctuary was the perfect tribute to her memory. Jordon and Jane greatly appreciated the friendliness of the workers at Save the Chimps and have taken the amazing experience to heart.

Two of the twelve islands, separated by a canal.

The props on these islands were huge!

This vehicle allows the hospital to come to the chimp!

Jungle Friends!

Interns visit Big Cat Rescue

2011-07-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

At Jungle Friends, interns get the opportunity to visit other animal sanctuaries in the area. Interns Mer and Becky went to Tampa to see Big Cat Rescue. After a warm welcome, they got a tour and learned all about their fantastic creatures. They even got to observe when a senior caregiver performed enrichment activities with several of the cats. We thank Big Cat Rescue for their hospitality and we are looking forward to seeing Big Cat interns visit Jungle Friends!

These cages are huge!!

2011-07-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Jungle Friends pictures. You can see Mimi hanging up there like a monkey. The rest of us holding up the cage. When I got home I felt like a bus had run me over. However, my favorite part is the photographer. We found out Amy's strong point is taking ton's of monkey pics and NOT being up high putting a roof on a cage. Everyone has their strenghts and we are so happy to have such a great yet diverse crew!!!

New Enclosure Finished At Last

2011-07-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's finally done! Using the funds from the Pepsi Refresh Project, we were able to construct a new habitat for the many capuchins at Koreymonde! We finished it off by placing the tin roofs on top, putting in the door, and installing the water licks. Everyone who worked on it did a fantastic job! Hope we'll get to see another habitat go up soon! Here are a few pictures of everyone hard at work.

Group Volunteer Day at Jungle Friends!

2011-07-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Today, fifteen dedicated University of Florida students came to volunteer for a
day full of special projects led by our interns, apprentices and regular volunteers. Some helped clean 2 of our largest outdoor habitats, which house some of the Motley Crue (a group of monkeys that were rescued back in October 2010), some worked on preparing platforms that will be put in our newest habitat, some learned how to make monkey feeders.
Everyone played an important part in the day, and we ended with a tour around the sanctuary to show our appreciation for their hard work.

Enjoy the pictures of our amazing interns and volunteers!

Below is a clip from the tour I gave to the volunteers.

Thanks to our devoted volunteers, we got a lot accomplished and we hope they
come back soon!

Monkeyshines poll: do ALL monkeys have tails?

2011-07-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

Voters said that they believed monkeys DO have tails, 10 to 4. What's the real story?

We checked with Kari, our expert, who says: all monkeys have a tail, but it can be very small and inconspicuous in some species. The best-known of these is probably the Barbary macaque, which is sometimes called the Barbary ape for this reason (though the Barbary macaque is a monkey and not an ape). Mandrills also have small tails.

Save the date! Thursday 7/14 at Karma Cream

2011-07-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Intern Becky Announces Her Jungle Friends Fundraiser!

Please join us at the Karma Cream Cafe on Thursday, July 14, from 6 to 8pm. Just use the magic words “Jungle Friends” and 20% of purchases by Jungle Friends’ Friends will be donated to the Sanctuary. Sweet!

Karma Cream Cafe

Thursday, July 14th 6-8pm
Scrumptious Organic & Vegan Meals & Treats

1025 West University Ave.

Gainesville, FL

Map Menu

While you are enjoying your meal/dessert, you will have the chance to look at some Monkey Art, which will be displayed at Karma Cream for your enjoyment.

Forks over Knives

2011-07-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Forks over Knives at the Gainesville Cinema 14 (Regal), 3101 SW 35th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32608

Patch Comes Home

2011-07-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Patch is out of the hospital and back home at Jungle Friends. She's had a rough couple of days. She is back in her habitat with all her friends and eating her PB & J like a champ. Her doctor bill ended up to be an astounding $1800, ouch! Anyone wanting to contribute to Patch's medical expenses can do so by simply clicking on the donate button today. Thank you for your interest and continued support.

Last Patch update of the night

2011-07-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog to update everyone!
Patch has woken up and is doing well, the vet even said it was the best wake up they have seen
She is being kept in overnight for observation and then we can pick her up in the morning to bring her home!
Although she will need some tender love and care so everyone send healing thoughts this way for Patch!

Patch in Recovery

2011-07-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Kari just called from the hospital and sadly, they found the baby already passed away in the womb. It was a very very big baby boy, and they are performing a necropsy on him tonight to investigate his cause of death. According to the vet, Patch's uterus looked very abnormal, so they believe it played a part in his death. The good news is that Patch is in recovery now and she is doing well. Who knows what would have happened if we didn't bring her in? If her recovery goes smoothly she can come home to Jungle Friends tonight. We are anxious to see her again and reunite her with her friends once she's all better. We will keep the updates coming on her recovery and the other mamas and babies.

RIP big baby boy...

Patch to the Delivery Room

2011-07-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Patch made it safely to the hospital and is about to have a Caesarean section. The vet was shocked by how BIG she was and concluded there was no way she could give birth naturally. He thinks she may have twins! Or, one GIANT baby!

Keep your fingers crossed and await the next update!

Better check that Monkeyshines blog often!

2011-07-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I learned my lesson about not checking the new Monkeyshines blog! I stopped by on Sunday to drop off some supplies and Kari mentioned something about a new baby. I was totally shocked and Kari said, "Don't you check the Monkeyshines blog?"Also, I had the honor of seeing the tiny new baby (a girl?!) and mother, Elizabeth. I also checked in on Michelle and her baby who is growing by leaps and bounds!

And as I am blogging now Patch is in labor. I also saw Patch on Sunday -she is in the habitat with Elizabeth and her baby.

Better check that Monkeyshines blog or you might miss some Jungle Friends happenings!

Patch Update!

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Patch has been in labor all day and so far no baby yet! Since we want to make sure both mom and baby are doing okay, Kari and Ashlei are taking Patch to the vet. There, she can get an ultrasound to ensure that the baby is positioned correctly, or see if she needs some assistance in delivering. They are in good hands, so we will just have to wait and see and hopefully hear the good news.

We will be updating as soon as we found out more about Patch and the baby!
Please send good thoughts their way!

Patch is in Labor!

2011-07-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

So, I pull up to Jungle Friends to volunteer for the next couple days, and the first thing I hear is Patch is in labor! Lucky me, I think to myself, I finally get to witness this first hand! The girls discovered her in labor when they were doing morning checks and she is still in the process now.Who knows how long she has been in labor either! Poor thing...

If I were her I would be tired and ready to give up, but no she is a little trooper. She is still catching bugs, foraging, climbing about, but of course stopping for her contractions. It just simply amazes me. Here is a video of her just 'hanging out' while she is in labor:

The other mothers check up on her every once in a while. It's really cute and sweet. They will groom her or just come over for reassurance. Below is a picture of Elizabeth, the newest mother, and her baby checking in on Patch.

Mimi and Kari have been keeping a close watch during the whole process, and there will be plenty more pictures and videos to come of the babies arrival! We are all hoping for a safe and healthy baby! Stay tuned!!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

Kari, the apprentices, and interns before dinner

The Jungle Friends caregivers (even our token Brit, Vicky!) stepped out of the sanctuary for a few hours to celebrate America's independence. After all of the monkeys were fed and happy and the sanctuary was clean, we headed to Kari's friend Vivian's house in Alachua. We brought a vegan barbecue complete with baked beans, fruit salad, and brownies to enjoy on the lawn. At about 9pm, we walked up to a little spot on the hill, laid out our blankets, and celebrated being American! The fireworks were spectacular; watch them on the video below!

Interns Jordon, Mer, Becky, and Brittany

Nick, Vicky, Jordon, Mer, Becky, and Brittany getting ready to watch the fireworks

Monkey Trade - the poem

2011-07-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

As most of you know we have had two babies born by the monkeys from the Texas rescue. Although it is unfortunate that these babies were born behind bars, the bond between mother and baby will never be broken.

Elizabeth and Michelle, the two mothers, originally came from a breeding situation where their babies were stolen from them. Finally they get to keep the strong bond with their baby and never lose that love again.

One supporter wrote a heartfelt poem, Monkey Trade, and we want to share it with you.

Monkey Trade
Emerge into the air and light
Everything's a blur
A loving touch
Arms cradle me
I'm finally meeting her
Skin to skin, a warm caress
We complete each other
I breathe the air, and fill with love
So this must be my mother
She holds me close, where I belong
And this is where I'll stay.
A rough hand pulls,
PLEASE HELP ME
Angel, PLEASE don't go away!
A shattered heart
A broken bond
Babe born for them to sell
Panicked pain
A helpless shriek
Back to an iron cage in hell

I long for her within these bars
Terror strips me to the bone
It's dark and cold
My mother's gone
I'm painfully alone

My sweet baby, come and gone
My child's not my own
Bars again envelop me
I'm painfully alone
Monkey Trade, c. 2011 Julie Nora

Watch Broken Bonds to witness a mother in labor, giving birth, and then nursing her baby.

7/3/11 Survey Says: NUTS!

2011-07-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

Our first Monkeyshines survey asked you: "What is a monkey's favorite snack?"

Nuts came in first, with 19 votes, but with 15 votes bananas were a close second. Watermelon, lemons, sunflower seeds, and apples were the lowest-rated treats.

I asked Apprentice Caregiver Vicki whether most monkeys would agree with the survey results. She said that NUTS are the absolute favorite, since the monkeys like whacking and cracking them almost as much as eating them. Bananas are yummy, but not as much fun. Founder Kari Bagnall voted for watermelon, because that's a sure lure when moving tamarins, but she agrees that the monkeys love nuts best.

Look for our next test of your monkey expertise on the blog next week!

PS: Would you like to give the monkeys a treat? Donate a care package. They will be thrilled!

7/ 2/11 video of new baby monkey clinging to Mom

2011-07-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Both Elizabeth and the baby seem to be happy and healthy. Elizabeth is running around her habitat and the baby is enjoying the ride and clinging well. The video shows just how well the baby can cling, even when Elizabeth is way up in a tree!

7/2/11 Day 2 - Elizabeth and her baby are doing great!

2011-07-02T04:58:00.000-07:00

When I went out to check on the babies, both babies were on their mama's belly nursing. Elizabeth and Michelle are taking such good care of their babies. Although it is unfortunate these babies were born behind bars, at least the mother-baby bond will not be broken. You see, both these mothers were in a breeding situation and had their babies stolen from them to be sold into slavery. Today, these babies are safe with their mothers in their sanctuary home.

7/1/11 Mama Elizabeth and Baby!

2011-07-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the first footage of Elizabeth with her newborn baby!

Why are there babies at a sanctuary?

7/1/11 Here ya go, proof baby is nursing, yeah!!!

2011-07-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Vicky took this photo and Mimi is working on a video of mama and baby, so stay tuned!

7/1/11 Tampa crew

2011-07-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I will be bringing a group of volunteers up from Tampa on July 17. Can you guys respond with a wish list of donations for us to work on collecting before we head up there? We love bringing the monkeys gifts! I had so much fun last time I was up there and look forward to seeing everyone again!

7/1/11 Ok, I'm thinking twins!

2011-07-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Pregnant Patch, wow!

Patch lives with Elizabeth and her newborn, along with two other females who also appear to be pregnant, yikes!!

7/1/11 Name Elizabeth's Baby!

2011-07-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and baby are doing great!

We need a baby monkey sponsor! More mouths to feed in this economy, yikes! The first person to sign up for a Gold Sponsorship for Elizabeth's baby will have the privilege of naming the baby!

7/1/11 Patch is next in line!

2011-07-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you are aware that we have several pregnant monkeys due to the rescue in Texas, if you are not aware of this, please visit the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary website to learn more.

Meanwhile, it looks like Patch is next in line...

7/1/11 Baby monkey searching for nipple...

2011-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

And, yes, baby did find a nipple, all is right with the world in Monkeyland!

7/1/11 Elizabeth gave birth to her baby monkey today!

2011-07-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

While Jane was passing out diets this morning she noticed that one of our expectant mothers had given birth! So far, baby is clinging, eyes and mouth opening and closing, mama is eating and active. Baby has been trying to suckle, however, we are not sure if baby is actually nursing, so I am keeping vigil. I will be blogging all day and putting up photos and videos. I am set up near their habitat with my computer, phone, cameras and I also have some thank you notes to write:-), and I will be watching and blogging throughout the day, so stay tuned to our blog!

Lots and lots of monkey love,
Kari and the monks

6/30/11 Ernesto: A little monkey with a lot of talent

2011-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ernesto is a white-faced capuchin monkey here at Jungle Friends whose interests include lounging in his runway, climbing through the trees in his habitat, and playing with his best monkey friend, Hayley.

But Ernesto is far from average. With a pitching arm to rival some of Major League Baseball's most famous, Ernesto's favorite game is pelting interns and volunteers with a variety of things lying around his habitat. Ernesto loves experimenting with new items to throw; food, rocks, sticks, and surprisingly large pieces of tree bark are only a few things I've had to avoid when passing by Ernesto's habitat. He will throw anything that will fit through the openings in the fence. Some might find it annoying or spiteful, but Ernesto is simply enjoying himself, as you can tell by the way he "laughs" after he succeeds in hitting someone.

Just a few days ago, I had my back toward Ernesto's habitat when I was inevitably hit by a flying monkey biscuit. When I turned to look at the little troublemaker responsible, Ernesto had turned his head upside down and was staring at me with his mouth wide open in pure amusement. I couldn't help but laugh right back at him.

Here is a video of Ernesto having a great time throwing the contents of his diet bowl at Vicky - ooh was that soup he tossed at you?

6/29/22 For The Birds

2011-06-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

While Jungle Friends' main priority is taking in abused monkeys, we also care for other species of animals. If you've ever visited the Jungle Friends Youtube channel, you've probably seen the videos on Ivor, the kinkajou that was mistaken for a brown lemur! There are four parrots living as a group - an umbrella cockatoo, a moluccan cockatoo, a blue and gold macaw, and a harlequin macaw.

One of the parrots, Freddie, even tries to sing Yellow Submarine and Row Your Boat! The macaws have made their own love nest right next to the door to their enclosure, so we have to be careful not to get to close! The cockatoos seem to take a general disliking to girls and are more comfortable with boys. They may not be the friendliest animals, but they are still considered family members at the sanctuary.

6/28/11 Lulu saved from evil pinecones

2011-06-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Lulu, one of our favorite white-faced capuchins, was visited by her arch-nemesis once again: the pinecone. She is deathly afraid these awful objects and will "bark" until someone removes it from her sight. Intern Mer rescued this damsel in distress and got a long stick to remove it from her habitat. Once Lulu saw Mer stomp on the pinecone and throw it far away, she was at ease and even started flirting with Mer with her wheeze dance. The video attached is of Lulu's first reaction to the pinecone- it is so short because Stinky decided he wants to be a photographer and tried to steal the camera!

6/27/11 New Habitat at Jungle Friends

2011-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Jungle Friends staff, interns, and our super local volunteers joined forces with the fabulous volunteers from Tampa to start building a brand new habitat, an event made possible by a grant through the National Anti-Vivisection Society. With the number of monkeys on our waiting list increasing, we have been eager to start a new habitat so that we can accommodate more monkeys in need of a proper home.

The day started off with a short habitat building lesson from our head caregiver Lee, who showed us how to use and distinguish between all of the necessary tools (who knew there were so many different kinds of pliers?) Everyone pitched in to help connect the first three sheets of horse panel together, which we then set upright to start the first curve. The amazing thing about horse panel is that with enough bend it will stand on its own! As some people added on one sheet at a time using small metal rings called hog rings, some used pliers to tighten these hog rings, and some carried the next sheet over. It was a perfect assembly line!

In the meantime, a scaffold was moved into the habitat, which would later be used to build the second level. Soon enough we had connected 9 sheets, which encompassed four trees that would give lots of shade for the monkeys. The challenge was to shape these 9 sheets of panel with dips and curves to increase the stability and strength of the walls while avoiding large limbs that could get in the way of our second and third levels. After some adjustments, the shape of our habitat was set, and we were on our way to leveling the habitat and starting the second level! A trench was dug along the bottom edge of the wall in order to level the habitat, a huge task when it came to an area that was covered in lime rock. But thanks to our strong, enthusiastic volunteers, we were able to crush it one layer at a time. After four hours of grueling hard work by 15 people, we completed the first level and started our second level. During the process, it was clear that the monkeys in the neighboring habitats were already eager to explore the newest addition to the sanctuary!

While the habitat isn't complete yet, with the help of our amazing volunteers, no doubt we will be able to create a fun and exciting environment for the monkeys to live in! If you’re interested in helping us continue to build, please come out and volunteer at Jungle Friends. All of us and the monkeys would sure love the help!

Enjoy this clip of the volunteers and the day’s progress!

6/24/11 Broken Bonds

2011-06-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, we have had a lot of baby monkeys show up at the sanctuary, some even being born here. Obviously we did not encourage any monkey breeding, because that is against our philosophy, but somhow it happened. We vasectomize all of our males so that they can live together with the females and enjoy life's pleasures without consequences. Anyway, we were misinformed about some of our newer males being vasectomized, and what do you know - we soon had pregnant females! You could only imagine how upset Kari was when she found out the news (wish we had a photo of her face). But, fortunately for these mothers and babies, they are able to live their lives out here at Jungle Friends with no worries. We were able to witness one of these mothers actually giving birth. It is something that most people will never get to see, and some dream of seeing. This video is uniquely fascinating - any mom, especially, will certainly feel a bond with this monkey mother as you look into her eyes, going through labor. It's some amazing footage!

6/24/11 The Mission

2011-06-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary provides permanent, high-quality sanctuary care for abused or unwanted New World primates from around the United States who have been cast-off from the pet trade, retired from research, or confiscated by authorities.
While our immediate and urgent responsibility is to provide the best possible life for the monkeys we are able to house at our sanctuary, our mission is not only to assist these individual primates, but to also engage the interest and support of our national (and international) community in doing so. Every monkey successfully released from laboratory research, or rescued from a life of abuse or neglect as a "pet", an "entertainer" or a "breeder", becomes a part of our message that these beings are worthy of our efforts and must be included in our moral universe.
By taking action to assist individual non-human primates in need, and by reaching out to other human primates through our communications, presentations and the Internet, we attempt to encourage, inspire and, wherever possible, assist others in taking specific actions for the good of their fellow primates and for a more compassionate world.

Monkeyshines Archive

2011-06-02T15:02:00.000-07:00


8/3/11	How many thumbs does a spider monkey have?
7/27/11	How to Conduct a Successful Monkey Socialization


7/25/11	Unlucky Travels
7/24/11	AR Conference
7/23/11	Animal Rights Conference: Saturday Morning
7/22/11	Animal Rights 2011 National Conference
7/20/11	Running For Jungle Friends
7/19/11	New Intern Uniform?
7/18/11	Snake Charming
7/18/11	Interns Tour UF Vet Hospital
7/17/11	Good-bye Girl(s) ~ Farewell Dinner Party at Jungle Friends
7/16/11	Tampa Crew Coming Up To Jungle Friends
7/15/11	Off to "Save The Chimps"!

7/13/11

Interns visit Big Cat Rescue

7/13/11

These cages are huge!

7/13/11

New enclosure finished at last!

7/9/11	Group Volunteer Day at Jungle Friends
7/9/11	Monkeyshines Poll: Do all monkeys have tails?

7/9/11	Save the date - Thursday 7/14 at Karma Cream
7/8/11	Forks over Knives
7/7/11	Patch comes home
7/6/11	Last Patch update of the night
7/6/11	Patch in recovery
7/6/11	Patch to the delivery room
7/6/11	Better check that Monkeyshines blog often!
7/6/11	Patch Update
7/6/11	Patch is in labor
7/5/11	Happy Independence Day!
7/4/11	Monkey Trade - the poem
7/3/11	Survey Says: NUTS!
7/2/11	Video of new baby monkey clinging to Mom
7/2/11	Day 2 - Elizabeth and her baby are doing...
7/1/11	Mama Elizabeth and Baby!
7/1/11	Here ya go, proof baby is nursing, yeah!...
7/1/11	Tampa crew
7/1/11	Ok, I'm thinking twins!
7/1/11	Name Elizabeth's Baby!
7/1/11	Patch is next in line!
7/1/11	Baby monkey searching for nipple...
7/1/11	Elizabeth gave birth to her baby monkey ...
6/30/11	Ernesto: A little monkey with a lot of ...
6/29/11	For The Birds
6/28/11	Lulu saved from evil pinecones
6/27/11	New Habitat at Jungle Friends
6/24/11	Broken Bonds
6/24/11	The Mission