Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 4, Part 2

 WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS

Farewell to PPS Board Member Jennifer:

Jennifer helps outfit an Enclosure

Jennifer has been an integral part of the PPS Team for the past 8 years. She and her daughter Lauren spent 5 years as animal caretaker volunteers, from 2004-2009.  When Lauren went off to college, Jennifer discontinued doing animal care, and became a member of the PPS Board of Directors, acting as our Secretary.  Unfortunately, Jennifer will be moving to the mainland in just a few short weeks, and she will be greatly missed!

She writes: “I wish…the Sanctuary all the best. It is truly one of the most wonderful organizations that I have had the pleasure to be associated with.” Jennifer has agreed to remain on our Advisory Board, to continue to provide support.

Pacific Primate Sanctuary Board of Directors and Advisory Board

The PPS Board of Directors held a meeting on Friday March 23, 2012.  During this meeting, we made several exciting new changes to the Board of Directors, as well as our Advisory Board. 

Current PPS Board of Directors: Erin, Linda, Lucy,

Bud, Jakob & Advisory Board member, Jennifer

We would like to welcome our newest Board member, Jakob. With a business and law degree, Jakob will be a very valuable addition to our Board.  Thank you Jakob for taking time out of your busy law practice to join the Board and participate in PPS administration. We have also elected Operations Manager, Erin, as the new Secretary. Ari-Jon, PPS website writer and IT volunteer over the past 15 years, was elected to serve on our Advisory Board.  Thank you to our new Board Members, the next generation, for stepping up to support the Sanctuary.

Honoring Sebastian

 Liliana and Sebastian

Long-time supporters, Joel and Liliana, recently suffered the loss of Sebastian, the capuchin monkey who they loved and cared for over the last 12 years. They have donated $500 to the Sanctuary in honor of Sebastian. We are grateful for their generous contribution, which helps us continue to provide a place of peace and healing for the monkeys who have found a home at Pacific Primate Sanctuary.

Words of Appreciation for PPS

“If I can help, I am happy to do so.  It is small recompense for the peace and joy I feel knowing you are all there caring for the monkeys.” — Barry, PPS Supporter

                                                                  

Thank you to Barry, Bruce and Anne for funding the installation of rain gutters on the Marmoset and Tamarin extension— keeping the monkeys’ sleeping houses dry when it rains!

How YOU CAN Help the monkeys

Spread the Word

One of the easiest ways for you to support the monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary is by sharing information about our refuge with others.  Pass this E-Newsletter on to your family and friends and encourage them to “Like” us on Facebook— http://www.facebook.com/PacificPrimateSanctuary. 

 

You can make a donation in honor of a friend or family member and we will send them a beautiful Contribution Certificate to commemorate your gift. Just send us the donation, along with the name and contact information for the person you wish to receive the certificate.

The support of compassionate people is what keeps our good work going. Please choose this meaningful gift so that we can continue to protect and conserve the beings with whom we share the Earth.

Donating to Pacific Primate Sanctuary can be as simple as doing an Internet search, or shopping online- two things that you are probably already doing! 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, or shop online using GoodShop, a contribution will be made to PPS!

In addition, you can help Pacific Primate Sanctuary win $1000! Add our GoodApp to your browser http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/pacific-primate-sanctuary-pps. The cause with the most GoodApps downloaded wins. Please share this to your family and friends, to help support the monkeys at PPS!

Volunteer Your Time

We are currently in need of more local volunteers! We need Animal Caregivers, Office Assistants, 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 us at pps@aloha.net

How to Donate Directly

We deeply appreciate your contributions to the monkeys. You and your family and friends, can make tax-deductible donations 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 Internship

The resident Internship program at Pacific Primate Sanctuary began in 2004. We have had more than 25 Interns over the past 8 years and the curriculum has deepened and expanded over time. This mutually beneficial program has provided a unique and valuable learning experience for the Interns, and exceptional animal care for the primates at the Sanctuary. Each Intern who comes to the Sanctuary brings with them a unique set of skills and knowledge along with fresh eyes.  This allows the staff to continually learn and improve the care of the animals!

As the Internship has grown and expanded, so has the number of highly qualified candidates who apply for this coveted position.  Recently, we have had an abundance of exemplary applicants, and are so pleased to welcome more and more skilled people to the PPS Team!

Resident Interns are given extensive training and the opportunity to become Primary Animal Caregivers, and are vital to the functioning of the Sanctuary.  The Internship program is made possible by the generous donations of compassionate supporters.  Please help us continue to provide housing, utilities and supplies to our Resident Interns. Donate now at: http://www.pacificprimate.org/help-donate.htm

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. 4, Issue 4, Part 3

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Special Topic: Intern Mary

Social Interactions, social relationships and the social system of spider monkeys

Spider monkeys have a fission-fusion social organization dynamic in which one large cohesive group of monkeys is broken up into a variety of smaller subgroups. These subgroups come together and split apart randomly and the number of subgroups seen together at one time depends mainly on the distribution of resources in the area. It is extremely rare for the large cohesive group to be seen altogether in the same place and many individuals move between subgroups. This type of organization has several advantages as it allows individuals mating privileges, protection, and access to more resources, which in turn reduces feeding competition.

Female spider monkeys are considered to be much less social than males. They are often seen traveling on their own or in very small subgroups consisting mainly of their offspring. However, when food resources are abundant it is common for females to join larger groups. Wild female spider monkeys groom and exchange embraces with other group members far less frequently than male spider monkeys. In captivity female spiders will only exchange embraces with other females and embraces become much more frequent in the presence of a young infant.

Male spider monkeys develop strong relationships with other males in their group. They use this relationship to compete with other communities of spider monkeys and to obtain, or maintain, dominance and mating opportunities. Males tend to stick together much more than females and are almost never seen alone in the wild. This is most likely due to the fact that it is the male spider monkeys that defend the territory. They often travel the boundary of their territory and traveling together allows individuals more protection when intergroup competition should occur. 

Another difference between male and female spider monkeys is that males regularly exchange embraces and pectoral sniffs with other males. Males also show extremely little aggression towards other males within their community. These behaviors can be seen with Carlos and Montana, the spider monkeys here at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. Carlos and Montana are very friendly to each other and often share food. They demonstrate their lack of food aggression by patiently waiting to be fed while the other is already eating. Carlos and Montana also groom each other on a regular basis. The only real aggression shown between male spider monkeys in the wild is during female reproductive cycles. There are no female spider monkeys at PPS, which more than likely plays a role in the lack of aggression between Carlos and Montana.

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

  

PPS Spider Monkeys, Carlos and Montana, Hug

Special Topic: Intern Annabel: A Study on Aging in Marmosets

Physical Changes

As primates age they go through a number of physical changes.  Their muscles weaken, and they can suffer from arthritis in their joints.  We see an example of this in Echo.  Echo is a seventeen-year-old cotton top tamarin who suffers from arthritis in her joints.  Her caretakers can know this is affecting her by carefully observing her each morning, when the arthritis tends to act up the most.  If she is stiff or in pain, we can see this by the way she moves, as well as by a shakiness in her motion.  To help with this she is given a drop of Metacam, which acts to reduce inflammation and pain, and also helps her to loosen up.  The sunshine also seems to help her, which she can easily access using her jungle walkway, which we have constructed to help her get around her enclosure easily and safely without the risk of fall and injury. 

Another common physical change in marmosets as they age is loss of fat mass. Lean mass however increases with age. Lean mass consists of all of the parts of the body that are not fat, including bones, organs, and muscle.  As a result, not a lot of weight loss is usually seen in marmosets as they age. If we do start noticing weight loss in the Sanctuary’s aging monkeys, we put those monkeys on a ‘special diet’.  This consists of their normal diet with supplementary high calorie foods such as banana, dried fruit and nuts, avocado and rice. 

Additionally, as monkeys’ age, it is common for the teeth to get worn down, or fall out.  We see this in some of the elderly monkeys living at PPS, such as Abraham and Galatea both of whom have very few teeth left. We help them by cracking all nuts, cutting hard to chew foods into smaller pieces, and providing them with more soft foods. 

We also give various vitamin supplements to help the monkeys with common problems associated with aging. Vitamin B is used to aid the metabolism and nervous system and is given to several of the elderly monkeys. Vitamin E is used to help protect the nerves, muscles, and cardiovascular system.  We sprinkle these vitamins on their food in the morning, which helps to keep our elderly population healthy and happy.

References

-Abbot DH, Barnett DK, Colman RJ, Yamamoto ME, Schultz-Darken NJ. 2003. Aspects of common marmoset basic biology and life history important for biomedical research.

-Bowdon D. M. Aging in Non Human Primates, 1979

-Tardif S, Araujo A, Arruda M, French J, Sousa M, Yamamoto M. Reproduction and Aging in marmosets and Tamarins, 2008

-Tardif S, Keith G, Mansfield, Ratnam R, Ross C, Ziegler T, The Marmoset as a Model of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, 2008

Special Topic: Intern Linda

Marmosets and Tamarins Chapter 9: Communal Infant Care in Marmosets and Tamarins: Relation to Energetics, Ecology, and Social Organization

In tamarins and marmosets, infants are carried ninety percent of the time before they reach four weeks old. After this month, however, it varies between species and their habitats. In some studies, researchers have found that infants are carried for a shorter amount of time in the wild than in captivity. As a communal group, all parents, siblings, and helpers take turns to care for the babies.

Weid’s Marmoset Father and Child at PPS

Tamarins usually carry their infants for a longer period of time than marmosets do. This is due to food resources. Since tamarin diets include foraging for insects and fruits, they must go further from their home in order to find food compared to marmosets. Marmosets, in contrast, do not need to go far because the abundance of exudates and gum from various plants grow close together. This enables infants to begin foraging on their own at an earlier age.

The energy expended by mothers for lactation is immense; therefore the mother is typically not the primary care provider. Fathers and, later, older siblings carry and care for the babies.  Marmosets and tamarins nurture and carry infants for different amounts of time, and care for the infants differently based upon their various energy expenditures, ecology, and social structure. 

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

“Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”    

— Martin Luther King Jr.

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 70 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and tourist attractions. 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.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 3, Part 1

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

Iktomi

Iktomi is a Critically Endangered cotton top tamarin. He is an elderly gentleman, whose mobility has been declining over the past few years, We have been with Iktomi through every step of his journey, searching to find solutions to each new challenge that arose as his abilities decreased. When Iktomi had difficulties jumping, we built him a jungle walkway. When he began slipping on the walkway, we created a specially constructed indoor portable, with a wide flat space for him and his mate, Leticia, to live together.

Over time, Iktomi reached the point where he could no longer move around his enclosure or access his feeding bowl. Iktomi became very frustrated in this state of extreme vulnerability. We knew that making Iktomi feel safe and secure was the best way to ease his distress. Iktomi was moved into nice comfortable bed, and wrapped up snug with soft warm blankets. Iktomi now felt protected, and his agitation soon went away.

We bring Iktomi outdoors to feel the warm sun on his fur, and he makes joyful noises as he looks around and examines the beautiful greenery. His caretakers offer him a variety of delicious foods, and he eats with vigor! He loves grapes, dates, yogurt, and a special gruel we make with baby food, marmoset diet, and bananas. He is groomed and bathed tenderly by his caregivers.

Although Iktomi can no longer live with Leticia because of his almost total paralysis, we know how important social interaction is for all primates. When we bring Iktomi to visit the other monkeys, they get excited and talk to one another. Leticia comes in so close, and she and Iktomi rub their noses together, making happy sounds. Other monkeys are eager to see Iktomi as well, and rush over to say hello. Neptune, another cotton top tamarin, came right over and licked Iktomi’s nose the other day. The connection between these animals is a beautiful thing to behold. It is truly amazing to see Iktomi enjoying his days in so many ways; he may not be able to jump and climb anymore, but his life is still full of pleasure.

Iktomi visits Leticia!

Please help us continue to provide monkeys such as Iktomi a home where they can live in peace and comfort. Donate now at: http://www.pacificprimate.org/help-donate.htm

SANCTUARY NEWS

Happy birthday Galatea!

“FH-6759” and “FH-6760 “were born in a research laboratory, a place where they were just numbers- a commodity to be exploited. When they were still quite young, this pair was fortunate to escape the confines of the laboratory, and found a safe haven at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. We named them Gaia and Galatea, here they were treated with the respect and appreciation that they deserved. They were given their own space, and they spent the next 15 years living together in the outdoor world. Volunteers loved to listen to their sweet calls, ringing throughout the Sanctuary. Gaia passed away last year, after living a very long life here. Galatea, just celebrated her 16th birthday on March 2, 2012, and we are so glad that she is still healthy and active, and that we can make it possible for her to continue to live a full and natural life at PPS.

This month we mourn the passing of the beautiful Chloe; a black-tufted eared Marmoset who was born at Pacific Primate Sanctuary over 13 years ago. Her parents were Tank and Florence, who were rescued from a research laboratory. (Read Tank’s story on our website.) Chloe had a truly shining presence, with vibrant eyes and exuberant energy. She spent her life here at the Sanctuary, living in the outdoor world, with her devoted partner, Guido. Two years ago, Chloe was diagnosed with liver disease. With the help of Dr. Dressler, we were able to provide Chloe with the medications and treatment required for her to live comfortably. However, over the last couple months, Chloe’s health has been declining. PPS caretakers have given her extra special care, observing her closely and providing for all of her needs. She passed away on the morning of February 25, with Interns Linda and Mary at her side. Chloe will be greatly missed by all who have known her.

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. 4, Issue 3, Part 2

WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS

Rain Gutters for the PPS Extension
The winter rains have been pouring down here in Maui, resulting in one of the wettest winters in many years. The PPS extension building was in need of gutters to prevent the water from drenching the monkeys’ enclosures. Unfortunately, the new gutters were costly and the Sanctuary had to take $650 from our very limited operating funds to pay for this necessary addition- enough money for 2 months worth of food!
We are so fortunate to have a truly compassionate group of supporters. One donor in particular, Barry, has helped to make the installation of the rain gutters a possibility. When he heard of our need, he immediately sent a very generous donation of $400, covering most of the cost, putting our minds at ease and lifting our hearts.

We still need to raise an additional $250. Your contributions will help keep the monkeys warm and dry, with your help the new gutters will be paid for! Donate now at: http://www.pacificprimate.org/help-donate.htm

PPS Website
Please read the story of Aeneas, which has been added to the Monkey Stories page on our website: http://pacificprimate.org/stories.htm

Interested in ways to support Pacific Primate Sanctuary? Check out our newly revised How to Help page. http://pacificprimate.org/help.html

WORDS OF APPRECIATION FOR PPS

“…The monkeys captured our hearts and we thank you so much for providing them such a wonderful environment for them and for creating a place so full of love.”

-Pat and Noel Mareno

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE MONKEYS

Spread the Word
One of the easiest ways for you to support the monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary is by sharing information about our refuge with others. Pass this E-Newsletter on to your family and friends and encourage them to “Like” us on Facebook— http://www.facebook.com/PacificPrimateSanctuary.

You can make a donation in honor of a friend or family member and we will send them a beautiful Contribution Certificate to commemorate your gift. Just send us the donation, along with the name and contact information for the person you wish to receive the certificate.

The support of compassionate people is what keeps our good work going. Please help us to spread the word so that we can continue to provide a place of peace and happiness for the beings with whom we share the Earth.






Donating to Pacific Primate Sanctuary can be as simple as doing an Internet search, or shopping online- two things that you are probably already doing!

GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo based search engine. After designating Pacific Primate Sanctuary as your charity of choice, every time you do an Internet search, using GoodSearch.com, a penny will be donated to the Sanctuary. If you search the web 6 times each day, by the end of the year you will have raised $20!

GoodShop is a network of popular online stores. If you designate Pacific Primate Sanctuary as your charity of choice, when you shop at any of these stores using the GoodShop.com network, the store will donate a portion of your purchase to PPS at no extra cost to you! The newest addition to GoodSearch.com is the GoodDining program. If you eat at one of thousands of participating restaurants, part of what you pay for the meal will be donated. All of these programs are easy, free and turn simple everyday actions into a way to help the Sanctuary and make the world a better place. Please email this information to your friends.


Volunteer Your Time
We are currently in need of more local volunteers! We need Animal Caregivers, Office Assistants, 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 us at pps@aloha.net


How to Donate Directly
We deeply appreciate your contributions to the monkeys. You and your family and friends, can make tax-deductible donations 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 INTERNSHIP

Introducing Stephanie

We are pleased to announce the selection of the next PPS Intern, Stephanie! Stephanie is currently finishing up her degree in Anthropology, and is eager to begin working with primates first hand. She has spent time doing behavioral surveillance studies at the St. Louis Zoo, gaining great observational skills- a trait that will benefit her greatly as a primate caregiver. Stephanie will be arriving in June, when Intern Linda finishes her Internship and heads off to begin the pre-vet program at Colorado State University.


I am honored to accept your offer to join the Pacific Primate Sanctuary as a Resident Intern from June 2012 to June 2013.
My love for primates and my belief that they should all have somewhere to feel safe are my main motivations for joining the Sanctuary. I hope that by the end of my year as an intern I will have gained experience in caregiving, knowledge about new world primates, as well as see the individual personalities of all the primates at the sanctuary.


I am truly looking forward… to working among others who have a dedication to the well being of animals.

We are excited to have Stephanie join our team!

The resident Internship program at Pacific Primate Sanctuary began in 2004. We have had more than 25 Interns over the past 8 years and the curriculum has deepened and expanded over time. This mutually beneficial program has provided a unique and valuable learning experience for the Interns, and exceptional animal care for the primates at the Sanctuary. Most recently, the Internship has enabled PPS Intern Linda to gain acceptance to the pre-vet program at Colorado State University.

Qualified Applicants are invited to apply for the PPS Internship Program. Please visit our website for more details: http://pacificprimate.org/future.htm

To help support Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s Internship Program, email: pps@aloha.net

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. 4, Issue 3, Part 3

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Special Topic: Intern Mary
Communication in spider monkeys: the function and mechanisms underlying the use of the whinny.

Spider monkeys are capable of making a wide variety of vocalizations each with a different meaning and purpose. Many of the vocalizations made by spider monkeys have been defined, as in the table below, however the only vocalization that has been thoroughly analyzed is the whinny.

Montana in the Sun

The whinny is described as a medium to high frequency squealing, similar to a horse’s whinny but with a much higher pitch. There are variations in length and frequency of the whinny and each variation alters the meaning of the call itself. For example a long high frequency whinny most likely indicates the caller’s position to the other members of their group. This specific version of the whinny is also thought to have slight variations. These variations in the high frequency long call whinny have been hypothesized to indicate the location of feeding sites and possibly the location of predators. The whinny is most often used when individual monkeys become separated from each other and is also used more often by males than females.

Unlike other calls made by spider monkeys such as the bark, a vocalization made in the direct presence of predators or other disturbances, the whinny does not always elicit a reaction from the recipient(s) of the call. Due to the inability to visualize an immediate response to the whinny, researchers are unable to verify the exact purpose of the call.

Carlos and Montana, the spider monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary, make a wide variety of vocalizations. They use the whinny vocalization when they see a volunteer delivering their diets. Just as with wild spider monkeys there is no way of knowing for certain whether they are making this call to each other regarding the presence of food, if they are indicating their location to the volunteer, or to each other, or if they are using the call for something else entirely.

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


Special Topic: Intern Annabel: A Study on Aging in Marmosets
What is Aging?

Although he is elderly, 

Abraham is still in great health and 

enjoys exploring his outdoor enclosure

In order to provide the best care for elderly monkeys here at PPS, we must first understand what aging is and how it affects callitrichids. For many humans, aging is a disease- the ultimate disease of one’s mortal existence. For most species, however, aging simply represents the approaching completion of one experiment in adaption (Bowden, 1979). Marmosets are often referred to as “old aged” (our equivalent of a pensioner) at 8 years of age (Abbot et al, 2003). A study conducted at the New England Primate Research Centre (NEPRC) analyzed age-related pathology in marmosets. They allowed these animals to live out their life spans and monitored them closely. They discovered that as the animals aged, they became more prone to diseases such as neoplasia (tissue masses/tumors), infectious processes, renal (kidney) disease, amyloid protein accumulation, and diabetes mellitus. These are common factors in the rate of illness and mortality in aging marmosets. By understanding the most common diseases prevalent in aging marmosets, we can know what symptoms to look for as the monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary get older. This will allow us to catch diseases early on, and provide better care.

Further analysis showed that the average weight at death was within the low to normal weight range for healthy animals: 321g (males 316g females 326g) (Tardif et al, 2008). This differs from what we see in human aging. As people get older they often start to lose a lot of weight. Data from this study show that there is possibly a correlation between early life weight and longevity. It is possible that the bigger you are in your peak (around 3 years), the longer you will live (Tardif et al, 2008). We provide the monkeys at the Sanctuary with a specialized diet, designed to fit their nutritional needs. We also customize this diet, adding high calorie foods for the monkeys who tend to be underweight. By making sure the monkeys are at a healthy weight when they are young, we are helping to ensure they live a longer, healthy life.

References
-Abbot DH, Barnett DK, Colman RJ, Yamamoto ME, Schultz-Darken NJ. 2003. Aspects of common marmoset basic biology and life history important for biomedical research.

-Bowdon D. M. Aging in Non Human Primates, 1979

-Tardif S, Araujo A, Arruda M, French J, Sousa M, Yamamoto M. Reproduction and Aging in marmosets and Tamarins, 2008

-Tardif S, Keith G, Mansfield, Ratnam R, Ross C, Ziegler T, The Marmoset as a Model of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, 2008

Special Topic: Intern Linda
Marmosets and Tamarins Chapter 8: Flexibility and Co-Operation as Unifying Themes in Saguinas Social Organization and Behavior

Before the 1980’s New World Primates were rarely used in behavioral studies. They were considered simple, primitive, and hard to observe to nature. Many also believed that their lineage was too far from the human lineage to be considered for research. However, by the mid 1980’s marmosets and tamarin research garnered much interest, which continues to the present.

Tamarins have been used to study social organization and behavior because of three distinct traits: flexibility, co-operation, and tolerance. Tamarins have a wide geographic range. They are found from Panama all the way to Brazil. They also can adapt to many
different types of niches, indicating they are very flexible. Co-operation and tolerance are other defining characteristics. Co-operation can be seen in the extensive childcare, where members of the group, other than the mother, (father, siblings) play a role in parental care. Various members of the family group carry the baby for hours and the infant returns to the mother mainly for nursing. Tamarins are also known to be very tolerant of the rest of their group. Members of the group give food calls even when the amount of food found is small, and aggression is rare for free ranging groups.

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

Cotton top tamarin father Adam assists

 with child rearing by carrying his sons

“Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage.”               ~Sri Aurobindo




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 70 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and tourist attractions. 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.