Friday, May 13, 2011

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 3, Issue 5, Part 1


PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

We grieve the passing of two very special monkeys this past month.

Solomon, a Black tufted eared marmoset, passed away on April 16, 2011. He lived large and loved food, sharing his life with a companion, sitting on a branch outside with the sunshine on his belly. He was inquisitive and excited by new experiences. Just a few weeks ago, the Interns blew soap bubbles for him and he watched in amazement.

When we buried him, we remembered his parents, Florence and Tank. Florence was confiscated from smugglers in New York and was sent, with her sister, to the Sanctuary. Solomon’s father, Tank, came from the discredited laboratories in New York as an older, down trodden man. His story is on our website. Florence, who was a much younger monkey, and Tank had an amazing relationship and a wonderful family.

As we finished the telling of his story, circled around his small grave, we asked that Solomon commend us to those who went before and tell them that there ARE people in the world whose hearts are filled with love for them.



Lucian was born on October 23, 2002, at a testing facility has been cited repeatedly by the USDA for Animal Welfare violations. After spending two years there, Lucian, his parents and seven siblings were sent to Pacific Primate Sanctuary. A veterinarian who was working at the laboratory wanted to send at least one family of marmosets to Pacific Primate Sanctuary before she quit her job at the facility.

Lucian and Olivia
Lucian was paired with Olivia, a marmoset who was human reared, after her mother died in childbirth. Olivia learned much from Lucian about how to be a monkey, including normal behaviors and vocalizations. Their lives became complete when they had children. Lucian and Olivia were wonderful parents, always protective of their family. Over time, their offspring grew up and found companions of their own. Lucian and Olivia both developed health conditions requiring specialized care, and one or the other would often spend time in the infirmary being gently nursed back to health in the tender hands of their caregivers.

Lucian and Olivia 
observe holiday candles
Each time Olivia was taken to the infirmary, Lucian would wait for her return. During these times of separation, we would often place Olivia in a kennel in front of Lucian. Lucian would always come running as soon as he saw her, and spend the whole day close by, keeping a careful watch over Olivia. At night, he would wait to go up to his sleeping house until his mate was put to bed and sleeping peacefully. Over the last several weeks, Lucian’s health deteriorated rapidly and he passed away on April 26, 2011.

Solomon and Lucian were both dearly loved by the many caregivers who were fortunate to know them, and will be greatly missed.

Please help us continue to provide monkeys such as Solomon and Lucian with a home where they can pass their days in peace and gladness.
Donate now at http://www.pacificprimate.org/help-donate.htm


SANCTUARY NEWS

Please Join us in Celebrating Miranda’s Life!
Miranda upon Arrival
Miranda fives months 
after coming to PPS
Miranda arrived at Pacific Primate Sanctuary on May 17, 1990, rescued from a tourist attraction on Kauai. She had spent over a year living solitarily in a tiny 4’x4’ cage, with no room to move around or even stand upright. When she arrived, she was emaciated, had plucked all the fur from her arms, chest, neck and tail and was weak with atrophied muscles. By mutilating herself, Miranda was crying out for help against the injustice inflicted upon her. Here at PPS, she was given her life back. We built her a big enclosure, offered her lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and treated her with kindness and respect. She loved to listen as her caregivers sang to her. Over time, her muscles grew stronger and her fur grew back. Miranda has now been at the Sanctuary for 21 years, and is thriving. As a wild caught monkey, we do not know Miranda’s date of birth, so instead we celebrate Miranda’s life each year on May 17- the day she found a caring home at Pacific Primate Sanctuary



Cotton- top Tamarin, Nadine, gave birth to twins on April 4th. One of the infants was extremely weak during the first few days, and strained to hold tight to mom’s back. When caregivers saw this struggle for life, they offered extra support- dropper feeding the tiny infant, and providing warmth. Soon the baby’s strength increased, and he was able to cling tightly to Nadine’s back and nurse to maintain his strength.

This species is listed as Critically Endangered, and unfortunately the population is currently decreasing. When a species is listed as Critically Endangered, it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. In fact, 80% of the total Cotton Top Tamarin population has been lost over the last 18 years. Pacific Primate Sanctuary is currently home to 22 Cotton Top Tamarins. Their survival provides hope for the future of this at-risk species.


Viola, a young Capuchin monkey sold her very first painting! Viola has been painting with tempera paints for over a year. She loves using her fingers to spread the colors around the page (and occasionally her face!). John, a PPS Supporter, was extremely moved by the video “Viola Paints”, on YouTube and on Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Facebook page, and wanted to have one of her paintings. He offered a very generous donation for Viola’s Earth Day Painting #1.

Viola’s Earth Day Painting #1



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. 3, Issue 5, Part 2


WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?

Spider Monkey Enclosures
Montana contentedly eating breakfast in his new home!
The Spider Monkey enclosures are all set up and ready for Carlos and Montana. Montana has already been moved and is happily exploring his new space!

Montana entered the carrier easily and we were able to relocate him to the new enclosure in a stress-free way. Carlos has been more wary of the carrier, and we are still working with him on entering so we can move him in with his brother.

2009-2010 PPS Intern Alli recently wrote to us:
I was just thinking about Pacific Primate Sanctuary because I was watching Discovery Channel and they had a show where they were re-locating 25 Capuchin monkeys from a closing sanctuary to a primate sanctuary in Florida. The way they were capturing the monkeys just broke my heart. The monkeys were screaming while being chased into cages and netted and were so afraid of all the people and nets and suits that one of the mother monkeys actually rejected her baby after. It made me think of the stark contrast to how you... have dealt with having to move Carlos and Montana and how patient and loving you are toward them. I really appreciate the way PPS is run and the fact that everything is there for the monkeys … I know these people's hearts were in the right place but I just wish they knew that there was a kinder way….

Volunteers
We would like to welcome our two newest volunteers, Charlene and Laurie! Charlene has joined us for the Tuesday and Thursday a.m. shift, as well as the Saturday p.m. shift, becoming a very committed and appreciated Sanctuary volunteer! She has worked with a variety of animals including horses, guinea pigs, cockatiels and turtles but this is her first time working with primates. She is eager to learn and extremely helpful and industrious. Laurie is now volunteering for the Wednesday a.m. shift. She has volunteered in the past with a local farm sanctuary. She is very compassionate and excited to be at PPS.

We would like to congratulate Volunteer Katie on graduating from her Emergency Care training, and becoming a fully trained Animal Caregiver Volunteer!


HELPING THE MONKEYS

Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Family
Director, Lucy, spends every day in the office recruiting new Interns, finding financial support, responding to countless e-mails and always offering advice and guidance. Operations manager, Erin Marie, provides her invaluable support at the Sanctuary, in the office, working with the veterinarian, and picking up food and supplies in town.
Sanctuary Interns, Olivia and Simon and extern Mary Catherine, give devoted care to all of the animals each day, maintain their home, and contribute their insights and ideas towards improving the Sanctuary. PPS Volunteers: PPS V.P. Dr. Bud, Charlene, Judi, Anne and Morgan, Jonathan, Katie and Laurie make time each week to keep all of the monkeys cared for, and the enclosures and the facility kept clean, pruned and outfitted.

Steven builds the monkeys’ homes and makes repairs and improvements to their enclosures! He, and new volunteer Nick, have created 20 protective wire grates for the outdoor Green Rooms.

PPS Treasurer, Linda, does the monthly bookkeeping prepares our taxes, and drafts the yearly PPS Budget. Jennifer, the Secretary on our Board of Directors, writes up minutes for each Board Meeting. Dr. Dressler and Dr. Delaney, provide their expertise, advice, feedback, and veterinary care to the monkeys.

The PPS Family keeps the Sanctuary functioning. Because of their contributions we can continue to offer threatened primates a place of peace and healing. They exemplify compassion, generosity, and that rare quality of selfless service, which shines a light— dispelling a great darkness. They are doing the work of Angels!

If you are interested in becoming one of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Angels, and volunteering your time and skills please E-mail us at PPS@aloha.net

Joani, Visiting the new
 Spider Monkey Enclosure
The donors and friends of Pacific Primate Sanctuary make generous contributions towards the construction of new enclosures, funding the internship program, and subsidizing the feeding and care of over 70 primates. Generosity and compassion are the stuff miracles are made of; please become one of the Sanctuary’s Miracle Workers.


How to Donate Directly
We deeply appreciate your continued partnership. You, and your family and friends, can make tax-deductible donations to the Sanctuary on our Website: www.pacificprimate.org and on FaceBook, using PayPal, or by sending a check to:


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

With your support, you make everything we do possible!


PPS RESIDENCY

Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Residency program is a unique immersion experience. During the first portion of the Internship, new trainees learn to provide daily care to the 73 monkeys at the Sanctuary. This includes preparing diets, administering daily medications, providing enrichment and maintaining the enclosures as well as the Sanctuary facility.
Once an intern has successfully grasped this information, he/she moves on to the next phase: Emergency Care training. Interns learn to provide special individual care to monkeys in need. During this time an Intern really begins to hone their observational skills, learning the individual monkeys in order to be able to tell when one is not feeling well. Interns are trained in how to handle emergency situations; administering subcutaneous fluids, using an incubator, wound care, checking vital signals and calculating drug dosages. Our newest Intern, Olivia, who arrived in March, has recently completed her Emergency Care Training and is well on her way to becoming a fully trained Resident Intern!

The third training module involves Sanctuary management. PPS Interns learn the skills necessary for Colony management (pairing new monkeys, movements within the corridor, etc). Knowing each individual monkey is vital to this aspect of the Internship. Interns also train and oversee other volunteers, create and update protocol documents and keep detailed records of all the primates at the Sanctuary.

Simon and Mary Catherine work 
together to set up an enclosure
Once an Intern has become proficient in all these areas, they are awarded Primate Animal Caregiver status by senior staff. We would like to congratulate Intern Simon on completing his training, and becoming our newest Primary Animal Caregiver! However, the learning process never truly ends and Simon is now deepening in his role as an Intern at PPS. This is happening at just the right time, as our current Primary Animal Caregiver, Extern Mary Catherine, will be completing her externship in June. Over the next month, Mary Catherine will focus on passing down all the information and wisdom she has gained during the last year to Interns Simon and Olivia. This will ensure that, while Mary Catherine may not be here physically, she will always be present for the monkeys and the PPS caregivers in the documents she created and the knowledge she will leave behind.




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. 3, Issue 5, Part 3


CONTINUING EDUCATION


Special Topic: Extern Mary Catherine

Chapter 8: Communication in Spider monkeys:
The function and mechanisms underlying the use of the whinny

Spider monkeys have a unique and fascinating vocal communication repertoire. Current research is exploring the vocalizations of spider monkeys in hopes of understanding what kind of information is communicated in their calls. As canopy dwellers, spider monkeys travel great distances through a complex environment in search of fruit patches. In order to communicate through the dense canopy, spider monkeys employ long-distance vocalizations as a means to locate group members, food, and avoid danger.

Spider monkeys have a fission-fusion society, meaning their social groups fracture into smaller subgroups (or even just individuals) and disperse throughout their environment to forage for food but join together again in the evening. Fission-fusion societies are found in animals with complex cognitive abilities related to building and maintaining social relationships. For example, dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees all have fission-fusion social systems as well. Spider monkey communication is thus very intricate and we are still trying to understand the information conveyed in their calls.

Carlos often whinnies when 
eating his favorite treats!
Current research suggests two vocalizations of spider monkeys, the trill and the whinny, may contain information on the animal making the call. Whinnies appear to act as a food call, increasing in frequency when there is an abundance of food. Researchers suggest this may act as a way to let other group members know where food is available and possibly to lower predation risk through safety in numbers. Members of a subgroup often stay an average of 30 meters apart from one another while they disperse and forage, while different subgroups keep a distance of 170 – 370 meters from one another. Though they may be visually separated from other members of their group, a spider monkey whinny can be heard from 300 meters away in a typical habitat!

However, the whinny is not just a sound to alert conspecifics about food. The acoustic structure of whinnies has many variations that are thought to contain specific information on both the identity of the caller and the identity of the intended recipient. This allows spider monkeys to stay in contact with specific individuals throughout their day. Trill vocalizations are also thought to contain information about the identity of the caller. In fact, studies show slight variations in the auditory make-up of a call represent identities of each group member. In other words, these calls may act as labels in how they address each other… something similar to having names! Doesn’t it make you wonder what kind of whinnies Carlos and Montana have for each of us?

-Campbell, Christina J. Spider Monkeys: The Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of the Genus Ateles (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology). UK. Cambridge University Press. 2008.


Special Topic: Intern Simon


The ecology of the pygmy marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea: some comparisons with two sympatric tamarins; by Pekka Soini

Introduction
The word “sympatric” refers to different species that occupy the same geographic area. In this chapter the author focuses on pygmy marmosets—a species previously housed at PPS—and compares them with two other monkeys: the moustached tamarin and the saddle-back tamarin. PPS currently provides refuge for two saddleback tamarins: Gaia and Galatea. After a brief description of the pygmy marmoset, we will see how they coexist with the two tamarin species.


Description and Ecology of the Pygmy Marmoset
You can find pygmy marmosets in the upper Amazon lowland forests of Peru. As their name suggests, they are tiny. The average weight for an adult is 119 grams: less than the weight of the average hamster. They live in groups that range in size from 2-9, but on average a troop consists of about five individuals—typically one reproductive female, her mate, and their offspring. Even in cases where there are more than one adult female, only one will be reproductively active. When children become young adults they leave in search of a mate of their own. But new births—usually to twins—constantly occur every 5-7 months, replacing those who leave.

Pygmy marmosets are habitat specialists. They live in floodplain forests along rivers. They are nomads who prefer to stay put for as long as possible. Troops occupy a range of about half a hectare, but the actual size of a home range depends on the distance between the gum trees and vines that these monkeys depend on for food. They will find a tree that can support the group and vampire-ize it until it no longer produces enough sustenance to sustain the group, at which point it is time for the troop to uproot and find another food source. But until the tree has been sapped of its sap—which can take a few months to several years—the troop will make that tree their central territory, and most social interactions will play out around this home base.

Comparing the Pygmy Marmoset to Their Sympatric Relatives
While pygmy marmosets are highly specialized, their two larger tamarin brethren—the saddleback and the moustached tamarins—live a very different lifestyle. Rather than living on gums and saps, they have a more generalized diet of fruit and insects and will only eat gum or sap rarely as a dietary supplement when fruit is scarce. Though the pygmies have a small home range, the members of the group tend to spread out within that range, often foraging individually. In contrast, the two tamarin species have a much larger range—a consequence of relying on the availability of fruit—but will stick close together when on the search for food. Furthermore, for the tamarins their home range may be larger than the pygmy’s but it does not change. They are well aware of where the fruit trees are and when a given tree is producing ripe fruit. They perpetually make the rounds to where the ripe fruit is, knowing that when one tree has been exhausted they can return to it when it is replenished. In this way, they never have to leave the parameters of their home range. For the pygmy marmosets, when a tree has been exhausted they abandon it and will change their home range several times in a troop’s lifetime.

Saddlebacks are nearly three times the body mass of a pygmy marmoset and the moustached tamarin is nearly four and a half times larger. This has reproductive ramifications. The pygmy marmoset’s small size and reliance on a food source that is more stable than fruit allows them to produce offspring at a faster rate than the two tamarins. They are able to give birth every six months while saddlebacks take eight months and moustached tamarins take anywhere from eleven to twenty months. The smaller size of the marmosets also means that they can effectively occupy a smaller home range. The pygmies occupy a mere ½ a hectare, while saddle-backs have a home range of 16 hectares, and the larger moustached tamarins: 25 to 35 hectares.

Conclusion
As we can see, diet, body mass, and ranging patterns all inter-relate to one another and comprise the strategy that a species employs to be successful. Though all three of the aforementioned species are primate, each has adapted to its own unique niche so that they can all coexist in the some habitat. This helps support a stable ecological system.

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


Special Topic: Intern Olivia Brown


The Capuchin Body

This chapter discussed the morphology of the Capuchin body and how it helps them function in the wild. The White-faced Capuchins, the species living at PPS, have pale skin on their faces that may darken with age. They also have black tails. Capuchins weigh about 2.7 kilograms, in the middle of the size range of neotropical primates.

The Capuchins’ hands, teeth, tail, and eyes function well with their large brain to body size to make them a successful species.

Viola uses her hands and teeth 
to get the sweet juice 
from sugar cane
Capuchins have a much larger brain to body size than that of other New World primates. It is more on the scale of old world monkeys. Capuchins use their large brains to forage for hard to find foods, they are omnivores but eat insects and difficult to get to fruits that are surrounded by hard shells, like figs, and fruits surrounded by spines. They use their brains to determine how they can use their teeth and hands using a precision grip similar to a grip found in old world monkeys, but not other neotropical primates.

Their eyes are very specialized and important in finding ripe fruit to eat. Within Capuchins there are several different types of color vision. They also have a greater sensitivity to see bright objects once their eyes have adjusted to the dark.

The Capuchin is considered a quadruped, and walks on all four limbs, using a prehensile tail as another hand. Some new world monkeys have a patch of skin at the end of the tail that has a more specialized skill, but the capuchins have hair to the tip of their tail. They use it for balance while walking on branches reaching for vines or other branches so they don’t fall.

The Capuchins also do a lot of grooming and enjoy grooming with citrus oils and other plant matter in the wild. Some of the objects they have been seen grooming with act as insect repellents, but they may just want to smell good. All four Capuchins here like to rub the oil from limes or etrog all over themselves, and Viola will continue to rub her body with her tail.

All of these specialized morphological features help the Capuchins survive in the wild. They can access food that other monkeys pass by. The use of an abundance of foods allows for a wider range and access of food in times of food scarcity. These specific features make them a very successful monkey.

-Fragaszy, D.M., Visalberghi, E., Fedigan, L.M. (2004) The Complete Capuchin: The Biology of the Genus Cebus. UK. Cambridge University Press



“No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it.
We must learn to see the world anew.” —Albert Einstein



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.





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.