Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 8, Part 3

PPS INTERNSHIP

Welcome to the two newest PPS Interns: Cheryl and Lisa

Cheryl arrived on Monday, July 25th from England. She has recently received a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Animal Studies. She is passionate about working with primates, and is intrigued with primate intelligence and social structures. Cheryl spent time exploring Chimpanzee grooming habits within zoos for her undergraduate dissertation. In 2007 Cheryl visited South Africa for 6 weeks as a volunteer for a Vervet monkey sanctuary. During this time she worked hands on with orphaned babies as well as helping to maintain the other 100 or so monkeys. Cheryl writes: “I have a great passion for primates and would love to expand the experience I’ve already gained and would like the chance to work with different species in a place like yours that is completely dedicated to the well-being of the monkeys.


I feel that my previous experience gained from volunteer work with monkeys will be useful as I have proven that I am able to adapt to new environments by myself, take on responsibilities that are key to the monkeys well-being, and show that I am able and willing to undertake every aspect of keeping monkeys and ensuring that they are healthy and happy… I want to thank you very much for offering me this position and giving me such an amazing opportunity to further my experience working with primates…I am really looking forward to learning as much as I can from people who have already gained expertise… and aim to contribute as much as I can to give to the primates the best life that they deserve…“


Lisa arrived on Tuesday, July 27th. She has a B.S. in Biology and has worked with 52 exotic big cats in a sanctuary environment, provided care for a variety of birds at the Dallas Zoo, and assisted with avian rehabilitation at the Texas State Aquarium. Lisa writes: “No matter how I write it, it cannot express how excited I am or thankful to be joining you all at PPS…


You never know when the opportunity of a lifetime will appear, but I’m so thankful it did. I found out about the Pacific Primate Sanctuary through one of my email groups. When I visited the website, I knew that it would be the right place for me, and after visiting with Lucy & Erin on the phone I was even surer. I think what drew me most to PPS was the simple message ‘Where the suffering stops and the healing begins!’

Welcome Lisa and Cheryl, we are so happy to have you

as part of the Sanctuary Family!

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Special Topic- Dana


Ryland’s Marmosets and Tamarins
Systematics, Behavior and Ecology


Chapter 7: The Social Organization of Marmosets: A Critical Evaluation of Recent Concepts

In this chapter, the authors Rothe and Darms discuss marmoset group composition, size, and mating habits. Understanding migration rates, and the age and sex of individuals is the key to deciphering the marmoset mating system.

In wild populations, immigration (monkeys joining the group) and emigration (monkeys leaving the group) seem to affect the structure of a society more than births and deaths. Immigrants are usually only welcome when it benefits all the family members, or they’ll be met with hostility. In the wild, friendly contacts between individuals of different social units do occur, but rather infrequently. Potential immigrants are only welcomed if they would benefit all family members. However, in captivity, marmoset groups/families are usually unwilling to integrate adult strangers whatsoever; therefore, births and deaths are what determine group size and composition.

In captivity, marmoset groups regulate their group size and composition by evictions of subadult/adult members. The probability of being expelled, especially by same-sexed siblings, increases with family size and with the increasing age of the social unit. The authors expect that in the wild, most juveniles will settle on natal or adjacent home ranges. Because of this, marmosets have a keen understanding of who is kin, so that inbreeding can be avoided.

White-tufted Eared Marmoset Couple

In any marmoset group, reproduction is the privilege of the alpha pair. The pair-bond is formed after the establishment of the group hierarchy. There have been about 160 Callithrichid societies observed for long periods of time, and monogamy was observed almost 100% of the time. One of the main advantages of monogamy is considered to be male investment in offspring. Co-operation, especially involving infant care, is an important aspect of callitrichid social organization. Having helpers raise offspring can be explained by 1) gaining rearing experience 2) the contribution to inclusive fitness via kin selection (by helping raise your sibling’s offspring you are ensuring that your family genes are passed on) 3) belated benefits through reciprocal altruism (i.e. I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine). The authors conclude that helping to rear infants is probably a matter of seniority and/or hierarchical status.

-Rylands, A.B. Marmosets and Tamarins. Systematics, Behavior, and Ecology. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1993.

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 74 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and smugglers. Here they can heal, form families, and live free from exploitation.



May all sentient beings be endowed with happiness.
May they all be separated from suffering and its causes.
May they be endowed with joy, free from suffering.
May they abide in equanimity, free from attraction and aversion.

— The Tibetan Book of the Dead


This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 8, Part 2

WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?

Building the New PPS Extension

PPS Volunteers Move Plants into the Extension

The building stage of the PPS Extension is complete, and Steven has hooked up the power and water. Each enclosure has been filled with plants, branches, hammocks and nest boxes by a wonderful team of vounteers! We have moved 6 monkeys into their new enclosures, and they are really enjoying their new home. It was so wonderful to see them exploring the plants and branches, and experiencing the sun and wind. Unfortunately, many of the enclosures will need to have work done on the door closures before we can move in the rest of the monkeys. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who helped make this possible. We had a great crew of volunteers all working together to outfit the new enclosures, and it was amazing to see the positive spirit and teamwork that went into the process.




We Need Your Help!

Raising funds is becoming critically important with the huge increase in expenditures! The new extension, monthly utility bills, and facility maintenance are putting extreme financial pressure on the Sanctuary’s limited resources. Every contribution counts and is greatly appreciated.


Rescue Fund

A Rescue Fund will allow us to provide refuge for at risk animals needing to be brought to the Sanctuary immediately. Laboratories and pet owners often have deadlines for placement and may not contribute to the costs involved in getting the animal to Pacific Primate Sanctuary or provide for their housing and care. Your contributions will allow us to reach out to these monkeys and bring them to our safe haven.

Please send your tax-deductible donations to:


Pacific Primate Sanctuary
500-A Haloa Road
Haiku, HI 96708


Or donate on our website, www.pacificprimate.org using PayPal.
Thank you for joining us in this life-saving work!

PPS PEOPLE in the SPOTLIGHT

Farewell Volunteer Torsten
Torsten has been volunteering at Pacific Primate Sanctuary for the last year. He has recently graduated from High School, and will soon be heading off to college. Torsten has been a wonderful addition to the Sanctuary, and will be greatly missed. We hope he will continue to volunteer at the Sanctuary during his Winter and Summer breaks from college… and beyond.

Torsten writes:
"The Year of The Monkeys"

During the summer of 2009, I pondered about what new activity would stimulate my satiated mind in the absence of schooling. Then I remembered my older sister's encouraging response to discovering the Pacific Primate Sanctuary website and how incredible it would be to work with the animals. What began as an augmentation to cure summer boredom, evolved and flourished into a life changing experience.


The moment I first walked through the doors of the facility, I became aware that this place demanded a lot of respect. It almost discouraged me at first to be overwhelmed with the responsibility that was about to be placed in my hands. Being held accountable for 70 intelligent primates was pretty daunting, yet exciting at the same time. It took a little while to balance these polar emotions. Through the completion of several shifts under the very helpful and expert guidance of the interns Ali and Robin, however, I developed my confidence as a fully functional volunteer.


…I was able to take a step back and really observe the primates with an understanding of their unique situation, which humbled me…. Their behavior is so much like our own that it forced me to empathize with them more so than other animals. I'll never forget the first time Viola grasped my hand; it gave me chills down my back. Then I soon realized that this (Sanctuary living) really is the only way for their lives to be preserved safely, especially considering their background in laboratories and private ownership…

Torsten's Hanuman T-Shirt Design

Knowing all this, I decided that I should contribute more to the sanctuary than just giving my time. Being a senior student at King Kekaulike High School, I was required to complete a senior project which included a research paper, product, and presentation all on a chosen topic. My work at the Pacific Primate Sanctuary provided the perfect foundation to build off of. I chose non-human primate testing as my research paper and presentation topic, and the sale of my original "Monkey T-shirts" as my product. Through my efforts I was able to raise $100 to donate to the sanctuary. The sanctuary essentially gave me all the necessary tools and information to complete that project and graduate from high school successfully.

I have gained so much knowledge and appreciation for these animals’ behavior, physiology, and psyche that I would never have acquired by reading some textbook. The Sanctuary is not only a safe haven for primates; it is a place where memories, friends, and experience are gained. The gratification one gets through working with the animals and helping to perpetuate their lives is worth it in of its self. I can think of nothing that would have been as rewarding as volunteering my time at the Pacific Primate Sanctuary this last year, and I look forward to helping out in the future in anyway I can.



This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 8, Part 1

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

Meet Brenda:

At nearly 16 years old, Brenda is one of the oldest marmosets currently living at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. She is a White-tufted Eared Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) who was born on December 9, 1994 at a research laboratory. Fortunately, she came to live at Pacific Primate Sanctuary at the young age of 3 ½ months old.

Two years later, in 1997, Bruno was given refuge at the Sanctuary from another research laboratory. The two were paired, but Bruno must have been housed alone in the laboratory since he had difficulty being with another monkey initially. With patience and a little behavioral conditioning from the caregivers, Bruno soon learned to share his food and accept his new companion. These two have been happily paired ever since. They have spent many years exploring their outdoor environment, and have often been seen enjoying the sunshine together.

Recently, Brenda has begun to slow down, and she and Bruno have been moved into an enclosure in our infirmary for specialized care. Here, she is receiving extra food and warmth, along with individual attention from the healing hands of PPS Volunteers.

NOTABLE NEWS

Persephone Explores her Green World

It has been a very exciting month here at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. We have welcomed two Interns, and the monkeys are getting to know their new full time caregivers. Seven monkeys who were living indoors have now been moved into outdoor enclosures with the completion of the PPS Extension! Macaco, Persephone, Indiana, Nico, Sylvan, Armando and Pacey are thoroughly enjoying their new outdoor habitats. Armando, a Cotton-Top Tamarin, was most excited with the plants in and has been chewing and jumping on the fronds of his palm tree. Pacey, a White-tufted Eared Marmoset, once lived in a house as a pet, and can now be seen exploring his new enclosure, feeling the wind in his fur.

Sylvan in his New Outdoor Enclosure

Macaco, another ex-pet, has been discovering the delights of living in the green world! We have already seen an increase in his appetite, and many caregivers have noticed that he seems to be calmer as well. Nico and Indiana have been successfully paired in the new Extension! These two seem to be getting along wonderfully, and are exploring their new home together. We have seen many grooming sessions in the sunshine already, and look forward to many more. Sylvan, who spent the first two years of his life in dark, cramped quarters at a pet shop, has been stretching his legs as he jumps around his new home.Persephone, who has been living indoors for the last year since leaving her family group, seems very excited to be back out of doors. It has been wonderful to watch each monkey examine his or her new surroundings and bask in the sunlight.

MEET MORE MONKEYS

Miracle, a Capuchin Monkey, enjoys a quiet afternoon in her outdoor enclosure

Guido, a Black-tufted Eared Marmoset takes advantage of a branch in his enclosure to get a nice stretch.

Young Viola works diligently to extract the sweet juices from a piece of sugarcane.

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—

© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.