Oona is a seven-year-old female White-Tufted Ear Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). She came to Pacific Primate Sanctuary, along with her parents and siblings in March of 2004. The family had been living in a laboratory prior to their arrival here. Happily we were able to find
a wonderful match for Oona in Nigel. These two soon formed a close bond, and began a family of their own.
Oona has adapted very well to the naturalistic environment at Pacific Primate Sanctuary, and enjoys spending time basking in the sun. It is common to see Oona on the ceiling of her enclosure, soaking in all the glorious rays! She is highly inquisitive and very playful, and loves searching for bugs throughout her enclosure.
NOTABLE NEWS
Our newest residents, Fern and Xylophone, have been settling in well to life at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. Their coats, which were rather sparse and rough when they arrived, are growing in nicely, and are looking very lush and shiny. They also look as though they may have gained a little weight; overall they are looking very healthy! Many of the other Tamarins in the corridor have enjoyed communicating with the newest pair, and they have been talking right back. Recently, Fern and Xylophone were moved to a spot in the corridor with several other Cotton Top Tamarin families nearby. The pair has been watching their new neighbors with great interest.
We are continuing to see great progress with Pacey and Macaco, two ex-“pet” marmosets. Pacey is showing less and less interest in his human caretakers. He has often directed primate communication behaviors towards people, rather than other monkeys. We are working to discourage this behavior, in the hopes that he will instead begin to bond with the other monkeys. In the past month we have seen great progress with Pacey, and have noticed far fewer incidents of these behaviors.
Macaco had his first ever experience with another monkey this month! We placed Allegra, a young female marmoset in with Macaco for a few hours. Macaco is not quite sure how to respond, having never been in close contact with another monkey. While the two are not ready to be paired yet, we will continue to give Macaco the opportunity to observe and interact with the other monkeys.
All four Capuchins are doing fantastically. Our youngest, Viola loves to play and try out new moves, swinging and jumping. Viola was abandoned at birth and hand reared by resident interns until she was 6 months old, and weaned enough to go in with her Grandmother Miranda. Viola is now a little over a year, and has bonded with Miranda. It is a joy to watch her interacting with Miranda, and playing like any other young Capuchin.
All of the Capuchins have really been enjoying the bounty of donated foods this month, particularly the mangos and date cubes!
Viola enjoying donated mango Meet More Monkeys
Carlos, a Black-Tufted Ear Marmoset peering from behind a leaf. Carlos is currently living in a portable with Margarite, and the two are very close. This pair needs to get out into the green world.
Galatea, a Saddleback Tamarin, enjoying the sunshine. Galatea came to Pacific Primate Sanctuary from a research laboratory along with her twin sister Gaia.
WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?
In the past couple months we have welcomed many new Volunteers. Mahalo to each of you for donating your time and compassion to the animals in our care. Each new Volunteer that joins our ‘Ohana raises the bar and helps to create a better home for the monkeys in our care. Your valuable contributions and wonderful energy are greatly appreciated.
Our new mailing is finished and is currently at the printers! We should have the brochures back soon, and will need help folding, stamping, and addressing them all. Please contact Erin (pps.coo@gmail.com) if you live on the island and would like to volunteer some time to this important project.
PPS Extension
We are in urgent need of funds to construct additional housing for the primates. There are currently 20 monkeys living in indoor portables who need to get out into the green world.
The plans for the new addition are coming along well! We have not quite finalized them yet, but have been brainstorming to make sure all the details are figured out. Thank you to everyone who has helped with this important project, particularly Steven, Robin, Alli, Dr. Bud, Lucy and Erin. A lot of thought has been put into making sure nothing is forgotten, and we appreciate everyone’s input.
Please join with us in this life saving work. With your help, we can build this new addition with outdoor enclosures for the monkeys now living indoors.
Please send your tax-deductible donations to:
Pacific Primate Sanctuary
500 A Haloa Rd
Haiku, HI 96708
Or donate on our website, www.pacificprimate.org using PayPal.
Pacific Primate Sanctuary on the Web
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haiku-HI/Pacific-Primate-Sanctuary-Inc/278605635163.
This month we posted pictures of the animals in our care, as well as some pictures of the Sanctuary Grounds. If you haven’t had a chance to view these yet, take some time to check them out! Also, keep your eyes open for some wonderful videos of the monkeys that should be posted in the near future.
PPS PEOPLE in the SPOTLIGHT
Meet Volunteer Morgan L.: At 13, Morgan Lapp, may be the youngest volunteer at Pacific Primate Sanctuary, but she sure does make a big impact! We first began to know Morgan when her mom, Anne, became an Animal Caretaker Volunteer a year and a half ago. Morgan was only 12, and too young to be a regular volunteer with us, but she wanted to help in any way she could. Morgan donated time to help with our Gift Wrapping fundraiser, as well as spending 40 hours one week as part of a school project. During this week, Morgan did a great observational study for us, spending time watching to see how Viola (a hand reared Capuchin) interacted with her Grandmother Miranda, who was fostering her. Morgan also helped out with the monthly and weekly tasks while she was with us.
We soon realized that she was not an ordinary 12 year old, and we decided to have Morgan become a Mentored Volunteer with her mom on Sunday evenings. Morgan continues to make valuable contributions to the Sanctuary. Most recently, she has wowed us all with her video editing abilities!
Morgan has been working with Erin to create videos of the animals to post on our facebook page, and hopefully our website as well. Morgan has a positive, upbeat attitude, and always comes to the Sanctuary with a smile. She reminds us to look at the world with “child’s” eyes, and to enjoy the wonder of nature. She is truly a joy to have around!
PPS VOLUNTEER UPDATES
Welcome to our newest animal care Volunteers Jessica Bardos, Robin Guerrero, and Sarah Guerrero. Jessica is joining us for the Monday AM shift each week, and has cared for many different pets in her life. She has never worked with primates, and is excited to be here at the Sanctuary. Robin and Sarah are sisters who will be volunteering on the Sunday AM shift each week. Robin has a degree in Psychology, and Sarah is currently a senior in High School.
Welcome to JK Martinovich who will be volunteering his expertise as a handyman. He is very interested in alternative energy sources, and organic gardening. JK has 30 years of handyman experience, and will be coming in each Sunday to keep everything running smoothly!
Congratulations to our newest Graduates, Morgan S. and Heather! Morgan S. has completed the training for the PM shift, while Heather has graduated from the AM shift. Now it is time for our new graduates to begin their Emergency Care Training.
SPECIAL THANKS
A special Mahalo to all of the PPS caretakers for sharing your knowledge and expertise in the training our newest volunteers.
Mahalo to Sue for helping us to finish our new Sanctuary mailing. We hope it will help to raise funds for building the outdoor extension for all of the monkeys now in portables. Sue has a great eye for detail, and a unique perspective. We also are grateful to Sue for helping teach Erin how to use InDesign in order to help with future mailings.
Thank You to Down to Earth, for their important weekly donation of produce, dairy, tofu and other goodies to the monkeys each week!
Mahalo to Steven for donating your expertise in many areas to help the Sanctuary. Thank you for all your help on the Sanctuary fridge. A special Mahalo for creating the designs for the new addition, for listening to our suggestions and needs, and then recreating the drawings to incorporate all of our best ideas into the new extension plan.
CONTINUING ED
Dr.Bud Special Topic: Capuchin Deceptions
Tufted Capuchins (Cebus apella nigritus) are fruit eating monkeys in South America. Group members will often peep or hiccup to alert other members of the group when there are snake or cat predators around. These monkeys have also been observed making these alarm calls, even when there are no cats or snakes around. However, when they do this, there is a presence of food. The alarms will scare away other members of the group, which allows the monkey who made the call full access to the food source!
Bensen, et al. Wild Things, Life as We Know It, Smithsonian Magazine, October 2009.
Special Topic— Intern Alli’s Observations:
Rehabilitation: From Laboratory to Sanctuary Living
New World primates (monkeys from South and Central America) have one of the most complex and sensitive social structures of the primate world. This fact alone makes caring for these amazing animals in captivity an extremely delicate science. In the wild, Callitrichids (marmosets and tamarins) can travel in groups of three to 15 individuals, which can include a breeding male, one or two breeding females, offspring, siblings, parents, and members who have immigrated from other groups. Replicating this type of social structure in captivity can be very difficult as some offspring may be willing to stay in their natal group for years while others may show aggression towards family members once they reach sexually mature. It is also extremely important to provide enough stimulation and enrichment to ensure mentally and physically healthy monkeys. The type of housing the monkeys are placed in can greatly affect their health and behavior as well. In other words, understanding normal, healthy behaviors can help tell us whether we are meeting the needs of monkeys in captivity. As Jane Goodall puts it, “Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved.” Therefore, having a better understanding for where the monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary came from will help us to more successfully rehabilitate them into a wild-like setting.
Upon learning that I had been selected to take part in the conservation and rehabilitation effort here at Pacific Primate Sanctuary, I immediately began to search for somewhere to gain more first hand primate experience. I was extremely surprised when my request to observe the marmosets at a major primate research center was granted, and more than that, they offered to train me in all aspects of marmoset care. During my six months at the lab, I was able to get a feel for what I thought was normal behavior of the 150+ marmosets housed within the six rooms set aside for New World primates. Almost every monkey was housed with a mate or family unit in a portable about two feet wide by 5 feet deep by 6 feet high. Each portable was outfitted with a shelf, two wooden dowels, and a metal nest box, which doubled as a carrier. The portables were lined up against the walls so that each room contained anywhere from 20 to 65 marmosets. I left the laboratory thinking I had a fairly comprehensive idea of what normal, healthy New World primate behavior was. I learned very quickly upon arriving at Pacific Primate Sanctuary that many of the behaviors I had been observing at the laboratory over the past six months were very different from behaviors exhibited by the monkeys at PPS.
By contrast, most of the monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary are housed in large indoor/outdoor enclosures with lush greenery, large branches, nest boxes, hammocks, soft sleeping houses, and ropes for climbing or perching. The 10 or so indoor portables here are outfitted with at least three large branches, multiple ropes, a soft sleeping house, and greenery, which is replenished weekly. I found out very quickly that this difference in housing, among other things, had quite an influence on what was considered “normal” behavior for the monkeys. For example, one of the first observations I made upon arriving at PPS was that there was a much greater occurrence of grooming here than at the lab. I found that most of the monkeys preferred to groom in the sunlight, which was impossible to do at the lab since all light was controlled and artificial. The few times I witnessed grooming at the lab it was almost always between a mated pair; while at PPS it’s extremely common to see offspring grooming parents or siblings grooming each other, as well as mated pairs.
One possible explanation for this difference is that most monkeys at the lab were pulled from their natal groups once they reached sexual maturity (around 9 months to a year old). The size of the laboratory portables only allowed a limited number of adult monkeys to live together at one time. Once the monkeys reached adult size (sexual maturity) they would often be pulled and paired with a mate in a separate portable. Since many social behaviors, like grooming, are learned while within these natal groups, taking young monkeys from their family group prematurely can hinder them from learning these normal behaviors. This could be why grooming, an important social behavior, was such a rare occurrence in the lab setting. At Pacific Primate Sanctuary, however, enclosures are large enough to accommodate many generations within a family unit. Therefore, offspring can learn valuable parental and social skills by remaining in their family unit to help rear their younger siblings. These are the skills that will be used when they themselves become parents.
Another set of behaviors I see much more frequently at PPS than in the lab setting are territorial gestures and behaviors. These displays include threat faces, piloerecting (puffing up their fur), and chittering and are common in the wild in order to claim territory, food sources, and mates. I notice these behaviors most often when I’ve entered an enclosure or am standing too close to an enclosure; which is naturally when the monkeys should feel most territorial. In contrast, when I would stand extremely close to a portable at the lab, most of the monkeys would either cower towards the back or ignore me completely. This told me that the lab monkeys either didn’t feel that their portable was actually their territory, or they just didn’t feel safe within their territory.
One type of behavior that I saw more frequently at the lab was repetitive, nervous behavior, which usually indicates that the monkey lives in an un-stimulating and unsatisfactory physical, social and behavioral environment. These behaviors include flipping, running in repeated circles or patterns, and self-injurious biting. In contrast, I have only observed this type of patterned behavior occasionally with two monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary and both of them came from research labs. For example, on a few occasions I have witnessed a 15-year-old marmoset, who came from a major research lab, run in small circles on the floor of his enclosure. This type of behavior (stereotypy) is common in laboratories and is a result of an impoverished living environment. While many of the elderly monkey’s lab behaviors, like food aggression, have vanished as a result of his years at PPS, his nervous running will still randomly appear. Another, younger marmoset also exhibits similar “running patterns” and is also an ex-lab monkey. Since both of these monkeys are now living in large indoor/outdoor enclosures with multiple forms of stimulation, I can only assume that these behaviors are a remnant of their life before PPS.
Knowing these disparities in behavior and housing can assist us while we are rehabilitating a monkey from a lab to a naturalistic environment. One way to help lab monkeys immediately upon arrival is to show them that the enclosure they now live in is truly theirs, and as caretakers we only enter it to help them. We do this by only “invading” their space in order to provide food, enrichment, fresh bedding, or to clean it. Another good rehabilitation technique is making sure that the new monkey can see an enclosure with monkeys that exhibit natural behaviors so that they can begin to learn from their peers. This way the monkeys can teach each other how to act and react to certain stimuli that they might not have ever experienced before. More recently, we have seen that this practice has allowed one of the ex-pet monkeys here to learn normal marmoset vocalizations that he had never heard before arriving here. Finally, and most importantly, all monkeys in a captive setting need constant and regular enrichment. A study done at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Lab actually showed that marmosets in captivity showed less signs of stress when the occurrences of environmental enrichment increased. Therefore, it is extremely important to always have something that the monkeys can manipulate (chew, tear, pull apart, etc.) in their enclosures.
While understanding where these monkeys come from cannot change what they have already been through, it can provide an explanation for some of their behaviors and help us care for their specific needs. Pacific Primate Sanctuary continues to rehabilitate and care for laboratory primates and protect their future generations so they will never have to endure the same negative experiences.
Sources:
The Common Marmoset, Primate Info Net, WNPRC, pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheet/entry/common_marmoset/cons
Current Common Marmoset Behavioral Research, Primate Info Net, WNPRC, pin.primate.wisc.edu/callicam/research9.html
The Psychological Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates, Committee on Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates, Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4909 (free on-line copy)
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s E-Newsletter. Thank you for your support of our life saving work. Because of compassionate people, the Sanctuary can continue to provide a place of peace and happiness for 70 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and smugglers. Here they can heal, form families, and live free from exploitation.
“No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.
We must learn to see the world anew.” —Albert Einstein
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