Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 3, Issue 11, Part 1

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

Meet Miranda

Miranda on Arrival

Miranda after 5 months at PPS

Miranda’s life began in the wild; she was born in a rainforest in Central America. While she was still quite young, she was captured by animal dealers- most likely by killing her mother. She was taken from her family and the life she knew, and shipped to a brokerage in the U.S. Miranda was then sold to an entrepreneur in Hawaii, for a failed tourist attraction. Miranda, along with two other Capuchins, spent the next year of their lives isolated in very small, separate cages. Miranda became increasingly distressed, and soon began to mutilate herself- plucking out all of her fur. It was in this state that Pacific Primate Sanctuary found out about Miranda, when we were told that she would be euthanized the next day unless we took her. Naturally, we took Miranda in and provided her with a new home. When she first arrived, she was emaciated; her muscles were atrophied from being confined. She had no fur on her arms leg and tail and she was frightened and traumatized. So far in her life, humans had been a source of terror and pain. Miranda deserved care, compassion and love- and she finally received it here. She was offered fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and monkey biscuits. With the help of generous supporters, we built her a new enclosure, with space to move around and branches and ropes to climb on. We rescued the other two monkeys, who were being held at the same venue, and Miranda now had companionship. Over time, her fur grew back, and she grew stronger, and became more sure of herself. Miranda has now been here for 20 years.

Miranda Today

She spends her days exploring her jungle enclosure, turning over every leaf searching for bugs. She loves to feel the warm sun on her back, and the breeze ruffle through her fur. Miranda was given the opportunity to care for and raise two children, as well as a grandchild. Now, when we go up to her enclosure, Miranda rushes down to greet us, and gently takes food from our hands while making contented sounds.


Please help us continue to provide Miranda, and other abused primates, a home where they can live free from pain and exploitation at human hands. Donate now at: http://www.pacificprimate.org/help-donate.htm

SANCTUARY NEWS

Encouraging Natural Foraging

Often, monkeys will hang upside down

 from branches to reach the bamboo feeders.   

Their feet have opposable thumbs, 

and clawlike nails which allow them

 to grip onto branches to access 

treats that other animals cannot get to.

The monkeys have been enjoying bamboo feeder enrichment this past month. A bamboo tube is stuffed with leaves or hay. Small treats are then tucked inside the hay. The feeders are suspended from branches with in their enclosure. The marmosets and tamarins must use their small, nimble fingers to dig through holes in the bamboo tube searching for the treats hidden within. This delightful enrichment encourages the monkeys to use their natural foraging behaviors.

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.