Welcome to the first edition of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s E-Newsletter. We are starting to go electronic to eliminate paper as our means of communication. Let the trees stand!
Please forward this newsletter on to your friends and family, and ask them to send us their e-mail address to be added to our E-Mailing list. We will be sending an E-Newsletter to you monthly, so that you can be more closely connected to the monkeys and people at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. We are very excited to share with you the day-to-day events in the monkeys’ lives and what we are experiencing in our service to the animals.
PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT
Bruno enjoying his Green Room
At 15 years old, Bruno is one of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s senior residents. Bruno is a White Tufted Eared Marmoset who loves peanuts, and spending time outdoors in his Green Room. He has a very sweet disposition, and enjoys sitting on his rope examining the world around him. Bruno came to Pacific Primate Sanctuary from a lab in 1997. We were so happy when we received Brenda, another ex-lab monkey, to be his mate. At first, Bruno did not know how to act normally around Brenda, and responded aggressively towards her around the food bowl. With patience and dedication, we were able to show Bruno the correct way to respond to other monkeys. Bruno and Brenda have been together for many years now and are a very happy pair.
NOTABLE NEWS
This month we were happily able to pair two single monkeys! Zoey and Enzo were both living alone in portables, after having reached maturity and leaving their family groups. So far, the pair are getting along very well, and have been seen grooming in their hammock.
Our most recently acquired monkey, Macaco,is continuing along his path of rehabilitation. Macaco came to us after having been a “pet” for 9 years. He has shown a great interest in the other animals in the corridor, and is learning many monkey behaviors! Since coming to the Sanctuary, we have seen an increase in his climbing and jumping abilities, as well as new monkey sounds. In the last month, we heard Macaco making a peeping noise at bedtime that we often hear from the other monkeys as they settle into their sleeping boxes.
Macaco finds a home at PPS
Pacey, another ex-“pet” has also been continuing along in his rehabilitation. We have been working with Pacey to promote natural behavior and the plan is going well. We have seen a definite increase in calm responses, and a decrease in agitation and abnormal behaviors.
Pacey becoming a monkey
Meet More Monkeys
Iktomi, an endangered Cotton Top Tamarin, enjoying his breakfast. Iktomi is the descendant of research animals rescued by Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Dear old Abraham, a Black Tufted Eared Marmoset. Abe is the son of Tank, a research monkey who finally found happiness here at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. (You can read Tank’s story on our website www.pacificprimate.org)
WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?
It’s Time to Expand
Pacific Primate Sanctuary has been taking in more and more monkeys with no other place to go, from terminating research projects and from desperate individuals seeking homes for their “pet” monkeys. Also, some of the monkeys here have reached maturity and had to be housed separately from their family groups.
There are now 20 monkeys living in indoor portables that need to get out into the trees. We have to build additional housing to provide more natural environments for these marmosets and tamarins. This is our mission; this is what we do.
We have designed an efficient, cost effective extension with 16 new outdoor enclosures. Corners LTD., the designer of custom enclosures, creator of all of our existing primate housing, has generously offered to build the new enclosures at over a third off the total cost. Manager, Jeff Smith, has once again offered to come to Maui to install the new complex.
New Extension for the Monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary
Design by Steven Wormser
Pacific Primate Sanctuary is in urgent need of funds to construct additional housing for the 71 primates at our facility.
We are working on a new mailing to raise funds for the extension to the Sanctuary. Our Volunteer graphic designer, sweet Sue, will be doing the layout so we should have a beautiful brochure to send out soon. Student volunteers will help us assemble, stamp and address them.
Since Pacific Primate Sanctuary runs on miracles, we trust the way will become clear to continue providing for the beings in our care. With the support of compassionate people, we will be able to build an extension with new outdoor enclosures for the monkeys living in portables.
To contribute, please send your tax deductible check to:
Pacific Primate Sanctuary
500 A Haloa Rd
Haiku, HI 96708
Or donate using a credit card through PayPal on our website:
www.pacificprimate.org
Goods and Services Needed at the Sanctuary:
The Sanctuary needs a weed whacker; if anybody has a working one they would like to give us, please contact our Operations Officer, Erin, pps.coo@gmail.com
We are in the process of sewing up new soft sleeping houses and hammocks for the Monkeys! Mahalo to Judi, our Thursday AM volunteer, and Arthurlynn, who works with Erin at Borders, for starting this process and making templates. We need to make quite a few of these hammocks and sleeping houses, and can use all the help we can get! We can supply a template for any sewers who live far away. if you’d like to help, please email Erin.
Armando cozy in his sleeping house
PPS PEOPLE in the SPOTLIGHT
Introducing our newest Resident Intern: Dana Michelle Kalhoff
Pacific Primate Sanctuary is pleased to announce that we have selected our next intern! Dana Kalhoff will be joining us as a resident intern from January 2010 to January 2011. She is currently finishing up her last semester at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is studying Physical Anthropology. We look forward to having her join our Sanctuary ‘Ohana in the coming new year!
By way of introduction Dana writes:
Dear friends at Pacific Primate Sanctuary,
I grew up in Boulder, Colorado and will be graduating from the University of Colorado in December with an Anthropology degree. My focus has been on primate behavior and ecology. Right now I’m a teaching assistant for an intro to physical anthropology class, and work full time at an athletic club after school. In the next few weeks I’ll be starting my internship at the Denver Zoo to gain more experience before I come to the Sanctuary. In my free time I love hiking, snowboarding, camping, and photography. Colorado is sunny 300 days of the year so I’m outdoors a lot!
Last year I went to CARE baboon refuge in South Africa for six weeks and the experience absolutely changed my life. In the beginning, most of my friends and family thought I was crazy for going to Africa alone, but now they see the bigger picture. I know that primate conservation will be a lifelong dedication for me. CARE was very hands-on and required round the clock work to care for the infant and juvenile baboons. I’ve never been so happy or more connected with myself. I let go of material possessions and started living life more simply and with more purpose.
I am incredibly honored to be chosen as an Intern at the Sanctuary. The feeling is beyond words. I am so excited to be around people who really understand primates and are excited about conservation and the well being of the planet. I can’t wait to learn about the monkeys and will strive to make their life better in any way I can. Everyday I have a smile on my face because I know the future holds so many good things.
I hope that everyone is doing well and that things are the Sanctuary are running smoothly. I’ll have you in my thoughts until January!
All the best,
Dana Kallhoff
PPS VOLUNTEER UPDATES
A Hui Ho Brigitte! Brigitte is heading back for her second year of college in Ohio. She has been back home for the summer, and has volunteered much of her time at the Sanctuary. It has been a joy to have her with us; she always brings happiness and a gentle, sweet energy to the Sanctuary. We look forward to seeing her again on her next school break!
A Hui Ho Jennifer. Our long time animal caregiver, Jennifer Orzell, will no longer be volunteering with us on Saturday evenings. Jennifer has been a volunteer with the Sanctuary for over 5 years. Jennifer continues to be our Secretary on the PPS Board of Directors and plans to stay connected to the Sanctuary as and helper with mailings, newsletters, etc. Jennifer and her daughter Lauren, who is now away at College, spent their weekend evenings caring for the monkeys, and always had a positive spirit and amazing observational skills. We will miss seeing Jennifer’s smiling face each week, but look forward to working with her in other capacities. Jennifer writes:
After volunteering on the weekends for 5-plus years, it's a bit difficult to put my thoughts into words. I have had so many memorable moments, both with the monkeys and with the interns and other volunteers, which have created a warm and positive impact in my life. The Sanctuary has a truly amazing and dedicated staff of people associated with it, and it is absolutely heart-warming to know that there are so many selfless individuals who genuinely want to make a positive impact on the lives of the primates.
I have never ceased to be surprised and enthralled by the monkeys themselves, and each week triggered a reminder to me of the amount of DNA that we share with them! Sometimes it seemed as though you could just see the thought processes going on in their heads, and I often wished there was some way of knowing what they were really thinking. I will always be grateful for the opportunity that I had to be a part of the Sanctuary ‘Ohana, and for the ways in which it has enriched my life by getting to know the monkeys. By taking a bit of time each week to observe each individual, whether in a family unit or by themselves, I could really begin to know their personality - and consequently if they became ill or injured, it was more easily apparent that something was not quite right.
As important as the monkeys are - after all, it is their Sanctuary - I would really like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of the interns and volunteers I have had the privilege to work with all these years. What an amazing group of people! … I can't begin to tell you how inspiring all of you have been! Your dedication has been phenomenal, and you have always "raised the bar” for each of us to strive to reach your level of commitment. I will carry each and every one of you in my heart.
Although I will not be working on a weekly basis at the Sanctuary, I am planning on staying connected and helping out in other ways, so I will look forward to maintaining contact with all of you. Thank you for all that you have shared, and for all of the great experiences.
Best wishes always,
Jennifer
Welcome to our newest volunteers Heather and Jarod Raithel. Heather and Jarod are new to Maui and are both teachers at Kihei Charter School. They have done a variety of volunteer work including animal care at the Texas State Aquarium, and collecting data on the health of reefs for Reef Check Thailand. Heather will be coming in for the Saturday AM shifts, and Jarod will be joining her every other week.
We are so happy that you have become part of our Sanctuary Family!
SPECIAL THANKS
Mahalo to PPS Treasurer, Linda Tester, for your invaluable help and support! Linda has recently amended our taxes and filled out the proper forms for the newly required nonprofit registration with the State.
Mahalo to Ari-Jon Laquidara for all your help with editing the website! We are very excited to see the changes taking place, and have many revisions in mind. It will be wonderful to get our website up to date, and we couldn’t do it with out the help of tech-savvy supporters, even if they live far away!
Mahalo to all of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Volunteers (past and present)
for the gift of your selfless service!
CONTINUING ED
Book Review: Erin: Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams
Author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, Douglas Adams is well known for his funny, quirky science fiction books. However, Last Chance to See is no science fiction book, but rather documents the reality of many animals that are facing extinction. Deeply touching at times, Adams makes many realizations and has wonderful insights throughout his travels, and manages to bring his sense of humor along as well.
The book begins with Adams accompanying biologist Mark Carwardine on an excursion to find the nearly extinct Aye-aye, a primate living in Madagascar. This excursion soon turns into many, as the two travel the world in search of threatened and endangered animals including: Komodo Dragons in Indonesia, Kakapos in New Zealand, Yangtze River Dolphins in China, and White Rhinoceroses in Zaire among others. The book was originally published as a companion to the BBC radio series also entitled Last Chance to See. It is also being remade as a TV series this year through BBC television.
This book is a delightful read, deeply touching and funny. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about animals and conservation. Happy Reading!
Intern Robin’s Special Topic: Primate Imitation
“Imitation Promotes Social Bonding in Primates”
A new study done by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in cooperation with two Italian research institutions has found that Capuchin monkeys prefer the company of researchers who imitate their behavior. In the study, monkeys were given a plastic whiffle ball. They proceeded to display three main behaviors: poking the ball with their fingers, putting it in their mouths, and pounding it on the floor. Each monkey was exposed to two researchers in sequence. One researcher would imitate the monkey’s behavior as he/she performed it (i.e. the researcher would poke the ball as the monkey poked the ball), and the other researcher would perform a monkey behavior, but a different behavior than the monkey (i.e. the researcher would poke the ball while the monkey was pounding it on the floor).
Each monkey spent more time in close proximity to the researcher who was imitating him or her closely. Furthermore, a later test was performed in which the monkey was rewarded for taking a small item from a researcher and then returning it. The monkey could choose either researcher to go to and perform this task, and the imitating researcher was chosen statistically more often.
There has already been extensive research done with humans in this area, which has shown that people prefer the company of other people who have the same gestures and mannerisms. This imitation is unconscious, and is evolutionarily beneficial, as people are more likely to help and have empathy for their imitators. This is the first study to explore this area in non-human primates, but Capuchins have been observed in the wild matching others’ behaviors. This is believed to be the basis for forming social groups. It is hypothesized that this will also be observed in other primate species that live in social groups, but this remains to be seen.
Reference:
NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2009, August 15). Imitation Promotes Social Bonding In Primates. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com <http://www.sciencedaily.com/> /releases/2009/08/090813142133.htm
We hope you have enjoyed the first 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.
Our task must be to free ourselves…by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures, the whole of nature, and all its beauty. —Albert Einstein
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