Friday, August 15, 2014


 
 Embracing Hawaiian Values at PPS
Ancient Hawaiians had an authentic and compelling way of viewing the world.  They held that:
All things are connected to one another and to the Source.
Pacific Primate Sanctuary is founded on the same worldview and we have discovered that our practices are based on many traditional Hawaiian beliefs, principles and values.
 
The Kumulipo is the Hawaiian Creation and Genealogy Chant, it tells of the beginning of our world and recites the birth order of all different life forms as they are born. The Kumulipo begins in Pō (darkness/night) before life existed, and the very first being that is created is the coral polyp, a tiny organism that is the building block for life in the sea.  The chant continues to describe the different organisms that are born, in the order they come into being, each one increasing in size and complexity.  Kānaka, or people/humankind, is the last to be born.  Kānaka is born into the same family as the sea, the land, the plants, and all the other animals.  We all come from the same Source, , and therefore we are all related and connected. Since Kānaka is the last to be born, humans are the younger siblings of the ‘Aina (Land), and all other living things. As the youngest in this family, it is our kuleana (responsibility) to serve our older siblings, this refers to both the Beings created before us in the Kumulipo, as well as the other humans who came before us (our elders).  We observe, listen, respect and learn from the natural world and our ancestors, and in return, they care for us and provide for our needs. The Hawaiians consider themselves stewards of the ’Aina, this Earth, and, are responsible for caring for it, and protecting it for their children.  
 
At Pacific Primate Sanctuary, we embrace this philosophy, and believe it is our kuleana to protect and nurture the land, and care for other Beings with respect. The following beliefs and ideals are central to the Hawaiian Culture, as well as to the Sanctuary’s mission, philosophy, and practices.
 
Aloha- One of the most commonly used and most powerful words in the Hawaiian language. Aloha has several levels of meaning.  On the surface, aloha means- love, affection, compassion, mercy, charity.  When broken down, the meaning deepens (Alo—presence, front, face) + (ha=breath, or life energy)- The presence of (Divine) breath, giving aloha a spiritual context.  A further meaning of the Aloha Spirit includes:
  • Ala— Mindful Awareness of the Moment
  • Lokahi— Balance and Harmony
  • Oia’i’o— Truth, Authenticity and Honesty. Being Authentic to Yourself and Responsible to Others
  • Ha’aha’a— Being Humble.  The multiple, repeated root Ha refers to you as a Spirit Having a Human Experience.
  • Ahonui— Patient and Enduring 
Aloha guides the way Hawaiians interact with one another, the animals, the plants and the Earth itself.  It creates a feeling of mutual respect and compassion.  At Pacific Primate Sanctuary, we make every effort to “Keep the Aloha Alive”. The animals are always treated with love, respect and kindness.  As an entirely volunteer organization, every person who helps the monkeys is doing so purely out of the goodness of their heart, with no rewards or incentives other than a desire to contribute their compassionate care. This positive, selfless service is healing to the monkeys, as well as to their caregivers.

 
Pono- Harmony and balance, to do what is right, meaning upright, goodness, righteous, to correct, to set right. To work towards an enlightened and positive path in Life.
 
The most important guiding principle at PPS is to always do what is right for the animals.  We strive to rectify the wrongs, the harms they have experienced, and provide them with a home where they can live in the natural world with others of their own kind.  This is their birthright.
 
Ho’oponopono- This is a Hawaiian forgiveness and healing ritual, which can be done on one self, or between individuals.  The meaning literally is to make right, or to “set on the right path for the greater good of everyone” Ho’oponopono is a form of mental and emotional cleansing, which allows a person to “clear the path” or remove obstacles and burdens that hinder him/her. 
 
Traditionally this was often used to resolve family and social conflicts in Hawaiian society. It was also regularly used by healing practitioners, or Lapa’au, to remove any personal obstacles before working on a patient, in order to be in the right frame of mind to offer help.  Ho’oponopono was then done on the patient, releasing inner turmoil and pain in order to allow healing (physical, mental and emotional) to occur.  Hawaiians believed that illness was the physical manifestation of spiritual and emotional difficulties such as stress, anger, guilt, etc.  Healing must tend to all three levels- physical, emotional and spiritual to be effective.  The physical healing was the most basic level- this includes medications, application of bandages, etc.  Far more important was the emotional and spiritual healing, which Hoʻoponopono addressed.
 
The most important thing we do at PPS is to heal, using our hands, hearts and spirits! Before entering any animal care areas, the caretakers stop to center themselves and become fully present, and aligned with the animals. The practice of Ho’oponopono is central in all that we do for the primates.  
 
The physical aspect of care giving is important; we provide the monkeys with food, shelter and medical care, without which they could not live.  However, the aloha, love and intention that go into the making of the food, providing the medications, and keeping the enclosures clean is what truly heals the animals. It is vital to the wellbeing of the animals, that the people who care for them be in the right state of mind, connected to the Source and focused on the physical and emotional needs of the animals, and not on their own personal concerns or difficulties.
 
Malama ‘Ainato care for and nurture the land so it can give back all we need to sustain life for ourselves and our future generations, to live in harmony with the land. Here at the Sanctuary, we nurture the land, growing fresh fruits and vegetables for the animals, as well as propagating plants for their enclosures. We utilize non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies, reuse and recycle as much as possible. The Sanctuary minimizes the impact on our precious resources. Many of the monkeys at PPS have become endangered in their native rainforests, which are disappearing at the fastest rate in history.
 
At Pacific Primate Sanctuary, we believe that caring for the land and the animals is vital to restoring our planet and returning it to a state of equilibrium.
 
Sources:
http://www.oocities.org/~olelo/shelties/mahalo-aloha.html
http://www.kahunahaleolono.org/language.html
http://sustainablemeasures.com/Training/Indicators/Def-Hawi.html
http://www.kumukahi.org/index.php/units/ka_hikina/kumulipo


PPS SUPPORTER COMMENTS
 
We recently received the following message Nick, who sent his “pet” monkey, Macaco, to Pacific Primate Sanctuary because he wanted to give him a better life.  Macaco has now been at PPS for several years, and has learned primate vocalizations, to leap with ease in the greenery, and the skills needed to live as a monkey.  After getting an update on Macaco, along with a current photo, Nick wrote:   “He looks fantastic! Always love seeing these pictures and still think of everyone at the Sanctuary every day. Don't know what I would've done without you.”
 

WAYS YOU CAN HELP the MONKEYS at PPS
 
Donating to Pacific Primate Sanctuary can be as simple as doing an Internet search!  Visit GoodSearch.com and designate Pacific Primate Sanctuary as your charity of choice, and get started using this wonderful program.  Each time you do a search using GoodSearch, a small contribution will be made to PPS!  GoodSearch offers many other ways to generate donations for Pacific Primate Sanctuary, including GoodShopping, GoodDining, GoodTravel, GoodOffers and more.  Visit their website to find out the details: http://www.goodsearch.com/
 
Use GoodShop for all your Back To School Shopping and a portion of your purchase will be donated to PPS.
 
Give the Gift of Your Service and Volunteer Your Time
We are currently in need of more local volunteers! We need Animal Caregivers, Handy people, and Gardeners/Landscapers. Retirees are welcome. If you live on Maui and are interested in becoming one of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Angels, by volunteering your time and skills, please e-mail pps@pacificprimate.org
 
Our Wish List
You can contribute to the monkeys by donating much needed items, including:
- commercial power washer                                    - sewing machine
- heavy-duty weed eater                                         - construction tools                                    
- gardening supplies & equipment                          - pillowcases and baby blankets
- pet carriers                                                           - ride-on lawnmower
 
 Please contact us at pps@pacificprimate.org if you have an item you’d like to donate!

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


Please help us provide food, medicine and supplies for the 50 monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary and help us care for the Beings with whom we share the Earth.



PPS INTERNSHIP

Introducing New PPS Resident Intern, Amanda, who will be joining us on August 18th. Amanda’s animal care experience includes general husbandry of gibbons and sun bears, observational studies of elephants at the Oakland Zoo, and data collection at The Marine Science Institute. This will be her first experience caring for New World Primates, and we are eager to share our knowledge with her, so that she may work towards becoming a Primary Animal Caregiver.

In her acceptance letter, Amanda writes:
Thank you for notifying me of my selection as your resident New World Primate Caregiver/Office Assistant at Pacific Primate Sanctuary…. I am very pleased to accept.

I have a strong interest in primates, conservation, and animal behavior. This past year I worked volunteering with the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) in Phuket and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC) in Sepilok where my responsibilities included husbandry work, environmental education, and office work.  During my time at the BSBCC I created an enrichment manual, various volunteer instructional materials, and started an enrichment competition amongst the staff, encouraging enrichment that engages the bears for a longer amount of time and provides a fun activity for staff as well.  

I have recently started volunteering for The Marine Science Institute, collecting data and returned to volunteering with the Oakland Zoo for behavioral observations. 

I have extensive office experience, primarily as an Office Manager with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth where I was responsible for building and maintaining the student database, bookkeeping, all registration updates for the site, training and supervising other office staff, general customer service, and a variety of other office duties that I am positive have shaped me into a strong candidate for the office portion of the internship as well. 

I am hoping to learn about new world primates and the running of a primate sanctuary in a rigorous, in-depth program.  I find what I know about your sanctuary’s work to be inspiring and l would really like to contribute.


Mahalo Nui Loa (Thank you very much!) to Erin B. for all that she accomplished during her 6 weeks as a homecoming “Intern”, and for helping to restore the Sanctuary to a superior level of operation. The current Interns care for the monkeys and the facility with a high level of commitment, enthusiasm, and skill, which can clearly be attributed to the training they received from Erin B. The PPS Interns’ attention to detail, understanding of the animals’ needs, and expertise in enclosure set up, reflect Erin’s standards, knowledge, and dedication. Team PPS will carry that forward!  She also taught PPS operations manager, Erin O. proper microscope use, and how to evaluate samples for diagnosis, a skill that will be greatly beneficial to the animals in our care.  It was a joy and blessing to have Erin B. back at PPS and she will always have an open invitation to return to PPS!

Erin B. writes:
A huge Mahalo to the entire Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc. Ohana! The last 6 weeks have been so amazing; words cannot fully express my gratitude! Mahalo to Lucy for inviting me, treating me like a member of the family, and for being the rock that keeps the Sanctuary on solid ground. To Erin O for retraining me, working with me to return the Sanctuary to it's former beauty, and keeping the monkeys' well being as a priority. It was fun remembering the old days! To Terese who became a fast friend and my means to my beach sanctuary, for creating that beautiful garden that I spent many hours in, and her dedication to the well being of the monkeys. To the new Interns Kia and Kenzie, Mahalo for allowing me to be the crazy monkey lady that I am and taking the time to do this beautiful, sometimes very dirty, work. Take care of my kids and embrace every moment of your time here. Breathe in all of the knowledge and experience and carry it with you throughout your life. To Kaitlin for coming back for the summer and bringing all of your experience to help out the 'new girls'. To all of the other volunteers, Mahalo for all that you do for the monkeys. You are all in my thoughts; I miss you already! A Hui Ho! (Until we meet again)


Welcome to PPS supporting Intern, Caley, who will be volunteering full time until December.  Caley has worked with a large variety of animals, and has participated in Internships and volunteer opportunities at numerous facilities including the Honolulu Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Sea Life Park. In the fall, she will be entering her second year as a student enrolled in the new Veterinary Technician program at Windward Community College, on Oahu. She is dedicated to caring for animals, and eager to learn more about the care and husbandry of New World primates.  As a short-term Intern, Caley will participate in training in the first two modules of our Internship Program, which include animal and facility care and emergency care procedures.

Caley writes: I am currently a vet tech student at Windward Community College. I am happy to say that I will be joining you soon as an Intern primate caregiver/ office assistant from June to the middle of August. It is a short internship due to the fact that I have to go back to school. I hope in this short time to learn as much as possible in primate care, record keeping and any other functions needed to help out with the Sanctuary. I hope to take this knowledge back to further my education making me a well rounded animal caregiver of exotic animals most notably primates, so that I will be able to handle a variety of care giving situations. I look forward to meeting everyone soon and hopefully it will be an exciting and educational experience. 

We are happy to have Caley on Team PPS!
                                                                                      

The PPS Resident Internship Would Not Be Possible Without The Support Of Our Compassionate Donors. Funding for this essential program is needed in order to provide housing, utilities, and supplies for our 2014- 2015 Resident Interns.

To find out how you can contribute to Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Internship Program, please email us at: pps@pacificprimate.org
or Donate now at http://pacificprimate.org/help.htm


CONTINUING EDUCATION
 
Special Topic: Intern Kenzie
The Complete Capuchin: The Biology of the Genus Cebus
Chapter 2: Behavioral Ecology

Many behavioral researchers have studied the behavior ecology of the Capuchin.  A significant number of these studies deal with the use of their immediate resources in relation to their feeding habits.

The term "destructive feeder" has been coined to describe the eating habits of the genus Cebus.  This description is due to their propensity for using their resources to pound apart tough food items such as hard nuts, tough fruits, and also break through bark to forage for insects, small invertebrates, and even some smaller mammals.   This active foraging behavior is called "combinatorial" because it combines an object (potential food item) with a substrate.  These vigorous actions of combining the food items with a harder surface are considered a signature feature of capuchins' foraging activity.

This very behavior can been seen demonstrated by both of the resident capuchins, Miracle and Prospero.  When Miracle and Prospero are given a citrus fruit for grooming, often times they will hurl the fruit from a higher area of the enclosure to the ground in order to release the oils in the rind that are essential in their grooming as insect repellent.  Another common sight is the action of banging the fruit against a hard surface to achieve this same feat.  Many times, when given harder nuts such as almonds, they will find many ways of cracking them open using surfaces and other substrates.  After the food items are successfully broken in to, the capuchins use dexterous actions to extract the desired, or softer food items.




Special Topic: Intern Kia
Marmosets and Tamarins – Systematics, Behavior and Ecology
Chapter 2 – A vocal taxonomy of the callitrichids

Callitrichids have a wide range of different vocalizations. One common vocalization is the long call. The long call can be used in many different contexts such as: to defend a group against intruders of the same species, to maintain cohesion within a group, to make contact with an animal separated from the group, and possibly to attract a mate.

When monkeys in the Corridor or the Extension at the Sanctuary start to make noise, it is important to understand who is making the vocalization and why. In some cases knowing the differences in vocalizations between species can quickly help you narrow down the individual(s) making the calls.

The long calls of the saddleback tamarin (such as Galatea at PPS) have much shorter syllables than the long calls of the marmosets. The calls all stay within the same frequency range (6.0-10.0kHz) and show extensive frequency modulation.
                                                   
Cotton top tamarins have long calls that consist of two or three very long syllables that have little or no frequency modulation (1.1-1.3 kHz).

For marmosets the durations of individual syllables are quite short (100-200msec). They make many different high-pitched calls (5.5-9.0kHz). The most common call that will be heard when marmosets are alarmed is called a ‘Tsik’. When there is an upset in the Corridor or Extension relating to marmosets it is common to here rapid fire tsik/mobbing call as all the individuals engage in the sending a warning call.


Listen to captive housed White tufted eared marmoset vocalizations: http://www.marmosetcare.com/understanding-behaviour/calls.html




 

`A`ohe lokomaika`i i nele i ke pâna`i
No kind deed has ever lacked its reward.





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 over 50 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and tourist attractions. Here they can heal, form social groups, and live free from exploitation.