Newsletter No. 38
Protecting primates and habitats worldwide
Registered charity No: 1102532
IN THIS ISSUE: Updates on Daisy and Lily, Monkey Sanctuary update, overseas support, supporters updates and lots more
Looking Forward Editor’s Summary Optimism and looking forward to a better future is essential to the work of our charity. Much of the work at Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary is about repairing the ills of the past as we help primates recover from the psychological and physical effects of their lives as pets, but to do this we must create the environment that will make the future different.
Banjo Tweets we like
Equally, conservation of species and habitats is about creating the possibility of leaving a legacy of hope to the generations of human and non-human primates of the future.
We hope that our work reflects this; whether it is skills sharing on projects in habitat countries or persuading an ad agency to withdraw an advertising campaign that features a chimpanzee (see page 5).
Ben Garrod @Ben_garrod @wildfutures Well you guys ARE great and do awesome, much-needed work protecting primates in the UK @PrimateSociety @ WildlifeMag @BBCEarth
Sustainability is the catch phrase we hear a lot and we do take it seriously. Our latest effort is the installation of a biomass boiler, producing greener energy and saving the charity money, meaning more for primates in need. This was made possible by the wonderful gift of a legacy by someone also looking to the future for after they have passed away.
Namir Shabibi @nshabibi @wildfutures It was a pleasure to visit the Monkey Sanctuary recently. Good on you for your work. You’ve just got urself another supporter!
We are continually inspired by our supporters and in this edition there are some lovely articles by the great people who volunteer for Wild Futures, are a part of our growing Ambassador team or are Adopters who explain what it is about our work that has captured their hearts and minds.
Walki’s Monster @LordWalkiWolf I support Wild Futures in protecting primates and habitats worldwide www. wildfutures.org via @ wildfutures ITmonkey @it_monkey Wishing I was at the @ wildfutures sanctuary with our lovely adopted pal Amy! #primate #conservation #awareness Apple Class @Y2AppleClass Ice cream sales have raised £54 for @wildfutures! They will be on sale again after school for you to enjoy in the afternoon sunshine.
Our work on a ban on keeping ‘Primates as Pets’ continues. We are looking forward to meeting with our campaign partners over the next few months and then engaging with the Government during this new parliament. A massive thank-you for making all of this possible!
Rachel
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Wild Futures, Murrayton House, St Martins, Looe, Cornwall PL13 1NZ Tel: 0844 272 1271 • Email:info@wildfutures.org Web: wildfutures.org • monkeysanctuary.org • adoptamonkey.org @wildfutures
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www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Staff profile:
Paul Reynolds Education Officer
How did you first get involved with Wild Futures? I have always been passionate about animal welfare and conservation and it was through the writing of articles for other conservation organisations during my MSc that Wild Futures initially contacted me about an opportunity to come and volunteer at The Monkey Sanctuary back in 2012. I signed up for 3 weeks, after which I had plans to either pursue a PhD or travel further afield for work, however, I fell in love with the work of Wild Futures and stayed on to complete a primate keeper internship for one year. During this time, I trained as a member of the primate welfare team, taking care of the resident woolly monkeys. I also focussed heavily on public speaking and took on a full time role as Education Officer after I completed the internship. What is your role now? Education Officer and Primate Keeper. I am responsible for both onsite and offsite education which ranges from delivering talks at universities to putting on days for school children on-site and managing the education buildings and displays. I am also a member of the research team at Wild Futures and we process applications for students and academics to carry out research here on site or in collaboration with Wild Futures (typically surrounding the issues associated with primates in captivity). Day to day I find myself delivering talks to the general public, feeding and taking care of the woolly monkeys and working alongside our volunteers.
What challenges have you faced over the years? As a charity working within budget constraints, while trying to maximise our education outreach, can pose a particular challenge. Given an unlimited budget we could travel the world over to deliver and establish our education programmes as education is the key to conservation!
I am inspired by those who have far less than we do but still strive to conserve their native flora and fauna Above every other mechanism set in place to protect wildlife and promote animal welfare, it is education that truly makes a difference by changing the attitudes of those who would, for example, keep monkeys as pets or buy their meat to eat.
What inspires you? I am inspired by those who have far less than we do but still strive to conserve their native flora and fauna as they have realised the true value of what they have and how devastating it is to the planet as a whole when it is lost. I am inspired by those such as Dian Fossey who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for standing up against those who profit from the exploitation of primates and their habitats, with such heroic actions serving to unite people against those who would rather see such causes laid to rest. What do you hope to achieve in the future? I hope to continue in my efforts to improve Wild Futures ability to spread our educational message through the linking of universities and colleges to our work. On a wider scale, ultimately seeing an end to the exploitation of primates for entertainment, as pets and as a food resource would be a great achievement to witness during my lifetime and an end to the decimation of their forest homes, which is paramount not only for their survival but also ours.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Wild Futures THE MONKEY SANCTUARY UPDATE Trading We have been enjoying a lovely spring this year with (mainly) great weather! The rainy Ethical days are not much appreciated by the monkeys (or their keepers!), but are just great the native wildlife at our sanctuary – the site is looking very lush and green once Purchases at for again after a cold start to the year (we had a whole 30 minutes of snow one evening in March!). We are looking forward to another great summer and hope to have lots of visiAffordable tors to share our work with. Although it is always incredibly difficult to Prices! Sheila lose any of the monkeys we care for and
Did you know that our online gift shop offers a wide selection of giftware, clothing and toys? We source all our goods from ethical suppliers to offer a choice of great items sourced from companies that operate Fair Trade, organic, recycled or other ethical means of production and all profits from our online sales go back into our work. Everything and anything you purchase will directly benefit the monkeys at our sanctuary, help us to rescue more monkeys, support our campaign to end the primate pet trade and help us to preserve primate habitats worldwide. Our online shop is great for gifts for all ages and you can rest assured knowing that your purchase is also contributing to our vital work! Enjoy your shopping here: https://shop.wildfutures.org/
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It is with very heavy hearts that we have to share with you that our dear old Sheila passed away at the beginning of March. She was a very old lady capuchin with various age-related health problems and, sadly, her time had come to leave us. She enjoyed 3 wonderful years at The Monkey Sanctuary and we take comfort in the knowledge that that she spent her final week taking pleasure from her favourite activities; foraging for bugs in the sunshine and spending time with her Grandchildren.
Daisy Some of you will be familiar with Daisy’s sad story, having generously contributed to our appeal to rescue her. She was originally confiscated from an exotic animal breeder in Wales, where she was being kept in terrible conditions. Isolated and alone from any of her kind, when she was rescued she had healed cigarette burns and badly mended, fractured fingers. For many years after this, she was housed with another capuchin, but we stepped in to help after he died, because Daisy was desperate for companionship. Daisy enjoyed a fantastic 7 months at our Sanctuary, but we are deeply saddened to report that she is no longer with us. She had been thoroughly enjoying life in Peppy’s group and making lots of new friends, but recently took a sudden turn for the worse and was rushed to the vets where it was discovered that she had end-stage kidney failure, likely due to her age.
Daisy did not stay with us long, we do take comfort in the knowledge that she was a very old lady and spent her last months delighting in her new found companionship. She loved nothing more than joining in with social sunbathing sessions, playing silly games with Peppy, sitting and chatting over dinner with Chanel or gently grooming with Morwella and we are so pleased that we were able to give her these special, happy social opportunities at the end of her life.
Lily Baby woolly monkey Lily has grown a lot since we announced her birth in our last newsletter! She spent her first 3 months safely clinging to Maya, before she began to explore on her own. At first she would stay very close, but she is now starting to get very adventurous, wandering away from her mum and exploring exciting new things around the enclosures, playing with the other woolly monkeys or riding around on Ivor’s back. Ivor has always been very protective of Lily and he is super proud now that he is allowed to carry her around on his back. Lily is also getting quite big and heavy for Maya now, so she is more than happy to let Ivor do some babysitting! Keepers are keeping a chart of her progress and important developments and we are pleased to announce that Lily is now up for adoption! By adopting Lily, you will help us to provide her with the specialist care she needs and receive your very own special adopters pack with personalised certificate, Lily’s photo and story, woolly monkey factsheet, newsletters, updates and more. If you would like to adopt Lily, just give us a call or visit www.adoptamonkey.org.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Spruce up for Spring!
We are giving the sanctuary site a bit of a makeover this season, with lots of painting, replacing safety barriers and adding interesting new signage and displays as well as giving the monkeys various new exciting spaces to explore! Extra runways linking enclosures have been added to make the whole of the monkey territory more dynamic and flexible.
This will give the woolly monkeys something new to explore and give some of the capuchin groups bigger spaces, with large indoor rooms to keep some of the old ladies comfortable in the colder weather. This will free up more space in our rescue centre for other groups as well as allowing more flexibility for enclosure maintenance and taking on new monkeys.
European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries Meeting As this newsletter is about to go to print, our Director, Rachel, has just returned from Romania where she was attending the General Partner’s Meeting for the European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries at Liberty Bear Sanctuary. Wild Futures is a founding member of EARS and Rachel sits on the board, representing our Sanctuary.
EARS is a network that supports and represents rescue centres and sanctuaries across Europe, enabling them to work together to achieve mutual animal welfare and conservation goals. By creating a strong and effective European network, EARS works to promote and achieve continuous improvements in animal welfare, and tackle the very reasons that necessitate the existence of rescue centres and sanctuaries. Here, Rachel reports on the meeting. “As always, the EARS meeting was inspiring - it is always wonderful to meet with dedicated individuals from other organisations doing similar work all across Europe for a wide range of animals (from monkeys, to bears,
to reptiles!) and to share achievements for the past year. I am proud that Wild Futures was voted onto the board by these organisations, as I know we can help to communicate the practical and economic realities of centres like The Monkey Sanctuary. This year’s presentations on fundraising by Mark and Karen from the RSPCA were very accessible and invaluable for our charity. Other talks and workshops included important discussions on how we can harness the collective power of EARS, how we can work together to improve animal welfare in Europe and how animal intake policies can affect changes in animal welfare legislation.
Kids’ Parties at The Monkey Sanctuary!
We are now hosting children’s birthday parties at The Monkey Sanctuary. All income from the parties goes directly to support our charity’s vital work, so join our dedicated Education Team and Keepers for a fun and informative day your party guests will never forget! Party guests enjoy a variety of fun games, wild workshops and monkey tours, catered to age group and can refuel in the Treetop Café with a tasty lunch and refreshing drink! Party testimonial from a parent: “To all the staff at The Monkey Sanctuary. Many thanks for making Jonas’s birthday so special. You couldn’t have been more helpful and his friends are all still taking about it! Michelle and Mike, Yelverton” If you would like to find out more, please visit www.monkeysanctuary.org/ visit-us/kids-parties or email: parties@wildfutures.org. We look forward to welcoming your very own cheeky monkey on their special day!
We also took part in education-based sessions, including an introduction to Skype in the Classroom by our own Education Officer, Paul, and of course enjoyed a tour of Libearty’s beautiful facility for bears rescued from terrible captive conditions. I am very much looking forward to being a part of the EARS collaboration and working to achieve yet more positive change for primates, and all animals, in the coming year.”
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Kids Poems
CAMPAIGNS UPDATE
Say NO to Primate Actors!
‘’Hello little monkey, you are so funky Playing in the tree, trying to peek at me. Once you were a pet... Now much happier I bet” Izzie, aged 9. “The monkey was small The monkey was grey It likes to play with her parents all day!” Chloe, aged 7. “My name is Frosty, I live in a tree. My friend is Kayleigh, She adopted me!” Kayleigh, aged 12. Lily’s a little monkey, And Ivor’s big and tall. She tried to hide behind her mum, But it didn’t work at all Hannah, aged 10 Swinging in the trees and chasing all the bees… It must be the monkeys. Jacob, aged 12 Monkeys jump around, And so can you, Monkeys live in a sanctuary, And you live in a zoo. James 16
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In addition to our main campaign for a ban they had not yet shot the scenes with the on the keeping of primates as pets in the primates, we quickly launched a campaign UK, we are always extremely disappointed asking the Producers to change their minds. when we see primates being exploited as We joined up with our campaign partners entertainers and actors. In addition to the and established an online petition encourserious welfare implications for the priaging members of the public to join our mates involved, there is scientific evidence call to action. More than 50,000 people showing that such practices can directly signed it, showing that the public increasinfluence audiences by reinforcing the ingly agrees with our view! We have still idea that primates can not heard back from the live happily alongside Producers so we will There is scientific humans. This badly continue to put presevidence showing sets back the work of sure on them to pledge organisations such as to stop exploiting prithat such practices ours who have been mates in their films. can directly influence trying to end this sort Back in March, Cross of primate exploitation audiences by reinforcing Country Trains ran a for years. promotion for NUS the idea that primates You may have seen students featuring a can live happily films or TV shows chimpanzee and sugalongside humans. such as Night at the gesting that students Museum, Pirates of ‘Buy a Monkey’ with the Caribbean, and Friends, all of which the saved money. Considering the implifeature primate ‘actors’. Those who work cations of condoning primates as pets, this in the industry claim that no cruelty is inwas incredibly irresponsible and potenvolved in the training of these primates, tially damaging. We wrote them a letter but the reality is far different. In order to and encouraged our supporters to do the be trained to behave in a certain way, they same, explaining why they should drop are likely to have been removed from their the advert and the advert was removed! mother long before they would naturally Thank you to everyone who wrote in to be weaned, subjected to frequent and explain why this was wrong and thank you sometimes extended transport (known to to Cross Country Trains for understandbe highly stressful to primates), deprived ing- together we can make a difference for of social companionship and denied the primates! opportunity to express natural behaviour If you ever see any ads or TV shows with in a suitable environment. primate ‘actors’ please let us know. It is At the beginning of this year, there were ruextremely important that we contact commours that the next Pirates of the Caribbean panies and individuals to explain and edufilm will, yet again, use primate ‘actors’. As cate why this is so wrong.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
CALL TO ACTION!
Have you got a Facebook Account?! We know that some of you already follow our page and share our posts, but it’s getting increasingly difficult to promote our work as Facebook is limiting all posts to just 4% of fans. We can’t afford to promote our posts or advertise for ‘likes’ as many charities are now doing, but more likes mean more coverage, so we need your help!
We previously asked contacted them, Cross We are always extremely Country Trains actually you to speak out about the exploitation removed the ad, demdisappointed when of primates in the Pionstrating that every we see primates being rates of the Caribbean email really does help! used as entertainers and Please help our camfilms, but we need you to take action paign by writing a polite actors. again! The Sun newsletter to the following, paper has recently reexplaining why this is so leased an advert, for ‘The Fun’ section, fea- wrong for primates and sends out a damagturing macaque monkeys jumping around ing message to kids and adults alike: a room inside a house. The Sun Editor: david.dinsmore@the-sun. We are always extremely disappointed co.uk Thomas Thomas Films: philippa@ when we see primates being used as enter- thomasthomasfilms.co.uk The Box ad tainers and actors. In addition to the wel- Agency: robin.garton@gmail.co.uk fare problems for the primates involved, it can directly influence audiences, reinforc- Importantly, you can spread the word! ing the idea that primates can live happily Many people who know nothing about alongside humans. This sets back the work these issues will find such adverts amusof organisations such as ours that have ing. However, we know that once people been trying to end such practices for years. do understand the issues behind this kind of animal exploitation, they prefer not to Recently, Cross Country Trains promotion see animals treated in this way simply for for NUS students featured a chimpanzee our entertainment. You will remember that and suggested on ‘Step Number 4’ that stuPG Tips, amongst others, previously used dents “Buy a Monkey” with the saved monperforming chimpanzees to sell their prodey. We asked you to contact Cross Country ucts, before public protest convinced them Trains asking them to drop their advert due to stop. to the fact it irresponsibly featured a dressed up chimpanzee and encouraged people to Thank you for your support on behalf of buy a pet monkey. Because so many people the primates!
Ongoing work As well as continuing to respond to people who enquire about obtaining a pet primate, we are currently sending out our annual survey to all local authorities, so that we are able to keep track of licenced primates under the Freedom of Information Act. This is very time consuming, but vital work and we have some fantastic volunteers helping us this year. DEFRA is supposed to
review the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human primates this year, so we are already starting to get some evidence and figures ready for this. We will be meeting up with our other campaign partners, now that the general election has taken place, so that we can work together on how to take the campaign forward.
If you go to our page www. facebook.com/wildfutures, you will see the option to ‘Invite Friends’ on the top left. Open ‘See All’ and click ‘Invite’ on everyone in your friends list! Thank you!
Positive News with the Positive List! The Netherlands is the second EU country to implement a positive list, after Belgium. They now have a list of mammals that people can keep as pets and the mammals that are not on the list cannot be privately kept. No primates are listed so this has effectively banned the keeping of primates as pets. This is great news! In the UK, you can keep any animal if you obtain the necessary documents and sadly, it is still legal to keep primates. After many years of campaigning, it is time for things to change and one of our aims is to see a positive list implemented in the UK. We recently heard that Scotland is intending to review the exotic pet trade and is willing to consider the possibility of introducing a positive list. We welcome this decision and we are already gathering evidence to submit to the Scottish Government encouraging them to act as pioneers in this field! It would be a great example for the rest of the UK.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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VOLUNTEERING I never expected to be at The Monkey Sanctuary as long as I have been. Volunteering at the Sanctuary was originally supposed to be a three month stint, although that quickly changed! I realised that the opportunities which were available were worth investing so much more time into. The staff at the sanctuary have an incredible amount of knowledge - combined with their willingness to share this knowledge, this made me volunteer for 10 months instead.
By Hayley Oliver
and running children’s workshops. The Sanctuary is a lively place in the summer holidays and it was great to see happy families learning about the monkeys. During the winter months the sanctuary is closed, so the work focusses on maintenance jobs, which was a contrast to the summer. I learnt a lot of new skills and was able to take on small projects.
and experience things that can never be experienced anywhere else in the world! The location by the sea and surrounding countryside make it a magical place to spend time.
Prior to the Sanctuary I had travelled Learning about the primate pet trade and to South America collecting data and seeing the consequences of this every assisting an American PhD student day in the form of the rescued monkeys researching endangered monkeys. Their Any grumbles over jobs that I wasn’t is a sobering experience. The education enthusiasm for primates and campaign work that was infectious, and my Wild Futures carries out The support and mentoring I have received recent fondness for these is humbling and I hope incredible creatures here has changed me as a person. that one day, all Wild led me to apply for a voluntary position at Futures staff, interns and Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary back keen on were always quickly replaced volunteers are rewarded with a ban on by the thought that any job asked of in the U.K. the primate pet trade in the U.K me, directly or indirectly helps the The Sanctuary has a small team of staff sanctuary, so therefore helps the The support and mentoring I have and lots of volunteers, but is a warm, monkeys. Every job is important, received here has changed me as a friendly place, which to any new so completing them, although hard person. I grew here, I learnt a lot and I volunteer is a welcoming relief! I soon work sometimes, left a sense of was guided all the way. This is something learnt basic volunteer roles, which accomplishment and good feeling. that I will never forget and will not only included making food for the monkeys, cleaning their enclosures, creating The Sanctuary is a community, you can help me in the future, but is something new enrichment, working at the café make some incredible friendships there I hope to be able to pass on to others.
HOW TO APPLY Our charity relies heavily upon the help of volunteers and simply could not function without them. Many people who visit or read about our Sanctuary are interested in learning more about the monkeys and what it is like behind the scenes. Although volunteers do not work directly with the monkeys (due to the delicate nature of the rehabilitation work we undertake and the fact that it takes many months to train on how to care for them), they are a big part of the day to day running of the Sanctuary and helping to make sure that things run smoothly. All year round volunteers help to clean the monkey’s enclosues, prepare their food, learn to identify and pick wild leaves and make enrichment items for them. They also help with maintenance tasks and work with our visitors during the months that we are open to the public.
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In addition to this, our volunteers enjoy listening to talks about the monkeys and get the chance to work closely alongside the whole team, learning lots during their placement. We can host up to 10 volunteers at a time in shared accommodation in our Sanctuary house all year round. Short-term placements run from 2-6 weeks, and long-term for up to 3 months. No qualifications or special skills are needed, but we ask volunteers to be reliable, hard-working individuals over the age of 18 with a good working knowledge of English language and a general concern for animals and nature. This type of volunteering is also available for local volunteers who can support The Monkey Sanctuary for 1 day a week on a long term basis and do not require accommodation. If you are interested in joining our dedicated team of volunters at any time, please contact volunteer@wildfutures.org for more details!
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Ambassador Spotlight
By Luke Berman
We would like to say a big thank you to all our fantastic Ambassadors who have been working hard to raise funds and awareness for Wild Futures over the past year. We’ve had information stalls about our work at events across the country, cake-sales, people donating their birthday for the monkeys and even fundraising in their workplace (there are too many names to mention here, but you know who you all are!) Young Ambassador Millie Edwards raised £100 by completing a 1500 metre swim, whilst 6 year old Guy Watson is gearing up for Bristol’s biggest Bike ride, in the hope that he can raise enough money to adopt Lily the woolly monkey for 3 years!
VegfestUK is one of Europe’s keynote veggie lifestyle shows and recently came to London for the second year running. Of course, we always try to make sure we were there - the event offers a great opportunity to spread awareness of our work. Wild Futures fantastic London group were on hand to run our stall for the weekendAmbassador Luke Berman recalls the event! Melanie Bradly has been making some beautiful monkey bookmarks to sell to raise money (see page 11), whilst Simon Stringer has been organising a Flying Monkey Skydive in his area. Simon also won an award through the Plymouth Drake Foundation and kindly donated the prize of £200 to our charity.
The monkeys need you! We are always looking for special, dedicated people to help us spread the word about our work and at the moment we are desperate for funds to continue developments on site to allow us to rescue more monkeys in need and to continue our vital campaigns and education work, so we need more Ambassadors! It is up to each Ambassador exactly how they would like to get involved and how much time they can contribute to fundraising and promoting our work. From climbing mountains to simply placing a few collection tins around your
Vegfest UK!
local area – it all helps! In return, Wild Futures is dedicated to supporting our Ambassadors as much as possible, with advice and the necessary tools that they need to help make your Ambassador activities a huge success! If you are interested in joining our team or know an enthusiastic youngster who would like to help our work, then please email fundraising@wildfutures.org so that we can send you some more information about our Ambassador or Young Ambassador schemes!
“Boy, what a weekend! Queues were already forming two hours before the doors opened on Saturday so we knew it was going to be busy; 10,000 people had been predicted! It was non-stop, right through from 11am Saturday to 6pm on Sunday evening. We had people consistently approaching us to ask who we were and to check out our merchandise. Once we explained that it was still legal to keep monkeys as pets in the UK, people couldn’t believe it. We had people of all ages and backgrounds talk to us and many gave donations, took adoption leaflets or thought about visiting the Sanctuary in Cornwall. We gave a talk that was well attended and there was a lot of excitement about our notepads made out of stone (yes, you did read that right!). All in all, it was a great weekend and I want to thank Walki, Anna, Faye & Mark who all kindly volunteered their time to help run the stall.” Are you available to help at events in and around London? We’d love you to join Wild Futures London group! Just a small amount of your time could mean a whole lot to our work. Contact Luke on lukeberman@hotmail.com.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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BOO BOO’S BEAN BURGERS! Ingredients: • 50g Pine Nuts • 425g Borlotti Beans (Canned) • 1 Small Red Onion (Chopped) • 2tbsp Sundried Tomato Paste • 85g Fine Bread Crumbs • 1tbsp Thyme Leaves • 1 Free Range Egg (Beaten) • Oil (For Frying) Method: • Toast pine nuts for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Set to one side. • Empty borlotti beans into a bowl and mash. • Add pine nuts, chopped onion, sundried tomato paste, half of the bread crumbs, thyme and egg. • Season and mix until combined. • Shape into 4 burgers, coat with remaining bread crumbs and chill for 30 minutes. • Fry in a thick layer of oil for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. • Serve with flatbreads and tzatziki!
THANK YOU!
At Wild Futures we are working hard to protect primates and habitats worldwide. We receive no government funding, so rely solely on generous donations from the public. Leaving a gift to Wild Futures in your will is the greatest gift that someone who cares about protecting primates and the environment can give. Legacies help us continue our work protecting primates and allow us to rescue monkeys from conditions of abuse and neglect to give them a safe home for life at our sanctuary.
Legacies help us continue our work protecting and allow us to rescue monkeys from conditions of abuse and neglect
Next for donating 12 pairs of wellington boots for our keepers Result for donating smart waterproof coats and trousers to keep our staff warm and dry. A big welcome to award winning web agency ‘Primate’, who have adopted cheeky Frosty, the capuchin monkey. Corporate sponsorship is a fantastic way for companies to help our charity and we offer an array of benefits for all business sizes! If you would like to find out more, please go to www.wildfutures. org/get-involved/corporatesponsorship
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Leave a Gift to Wild Futures… FREE will writing!
A gift to our charity will also support vital conservation projects overseas and in the UK and ensure the next generation is wellinformed about protecting the planet and all of its creatures. If you have already made a will, but would like to leave a gift to Wild Futures, you can do so by making a simple addition to your existing will, called a codicil. If you have not already made a will, it is recommended that you see a solicitor to arrange it.
a will, your money and property may not automatically go to those you care about.
Through Leave a Gift to Cornwall, a collaboration of Cornish charities making a difference in Cornwall, we have partnered with McClure’s Solicitors, a national firm of solicitors and will writers, to offer FREE will-writing appointments. If you haven’t already written a will, or you need to make an amendment to your will, then this is the time to do it, as McClure’s are offering free will writing appointments in return for a small donation to Wild Futures. Writing a will can cost up to £300, so this is a great, win- win service; You benefit and our charity benefits! Visit www.leaveagifttocornwall.co.uk/ wills, call McClure’s Plymouth office on 01752 682001, or email shelly.pritchard@ mcclure-solicitors.co.uk to arrange your appointment.
A will can protect your loved ones; ensuring that they are not subjected to additional worry at a time of grief, giving you peace of mind for the future. If you do not make
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Parcels for Primates Monkey Wishlist!
A great big thank you to everybody who has donated items off our Monkey Wish List! The monkeys have enjoyed lots of new toys and treats and we are extremely grateful for your support, please keep those donations coming in. We’ve also had a couple of fantastic parcels arrive for the monkeys from schools that support our work. Are you a teacher or group leader? Perhaps you can encourage your class or group or
even colleagues at work to put together a parcel for the monkeys?! Unsalted nuts, dried fruit, dog toys, grapes, peanut butter and blankets are all on the list, but you can find the whole array of snacks and toys here: www.wildfutures. org/fundraising/parcels-for-primates-monkey-wish-list-appeal Thank you on behalf of the monkeys.
It’s Amazing to Adopt! By Andy Rea & Hazel Roberts We first visited Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary in April 2011 and absolutely loved the experience, spending hours sitting really close and watching the monkeys, fascinated by individual personalities and group dynamics. Monkeys are amazing creatures with complex personalities, social skills and incredible physical abilities - and they love to play among friends, just like we do. There is never a dull moment, whether you are watching them in the wild or being cared for by Wild Futures. But there are deeper reasons to care. Seeing the keepers in action, building bonds and revealing the monkey’s stories, is really inspiring. Hearing them chart each monkey’s progress and describe the wider campaign, education and conservation work being done was moving. All these things made it easy for us to decide to get more involved. We sponsor Charlie Brown, who caught
our eye and we learned has coped with so much in his life. We’ve been back to visit him a couple of times since and he’s always been around, socialising and keeping an eye on things. We stay involved because the monkeys and their carefully constructed sanctuary brought joy to our hearts, as much as their stories brought sorrow. More needs to be done to help these intelligent, social creatures from ever reaching the pet trade, and to help them once they do. To everyone reading this, we implore you to visit The Monkey Sanctuary and hopefully help Wild Futures continue their amazing, life-changing work by becoming adopting a monkey.
Adoption
SCHEME UPDATE Hello Adopters! You may already know that on 1st April 2014 we changed our adoption scheme to incorporate the research we have been doing into the scheme, with the aim being to ensure we are offering an attractive and worthwhile package for more adopters to enjoy. Until now, the Adoption Scheme offered a free pass into The Monkey Sanctuary, but our research shows that only around 5% of our Adopters are able to use this. Under the new scheme, we will be offering a monkey toy and a 30% discount to our Sanctuary. This enables us to use more of our funds to support our charitable aims and we know that this is what you, our adopters and supporters, would want. We are now offering Adopters on the old scheme the opportunity to change over, so if you would like to change to the new scheme or have any further questions, please contact: Tracey Lindop on 0844 272 1271 or email adoptions@ wildfutures.org We will, of course, continue to send you a VIP invite to our Supporters’ Day (usually May half term), where all Adopters are entitled to free entry to visit our Sanctuary for a special day of tours and activities. Your support through adopting one of our monkeys is very important for our charity; not just in fundraising terms, but because it forms a special connection between two very significant groups; the monkeys and you, our fantastic supporters!
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Monkey Bookmark
OVERSEAS SUPPORT
Check out Mel’s Monkey Bookmarks! These gorgeous bookmarks, made by one of our fantastic Ambassadors, are just £2.50 each and all proceeds go to our charity’s work. Contact Melanie on melanie.bradley78@yahoo.co.uk or visit her Facebook page www.facebook. com/MonkeyBookmarks?fref= ts to buy yourself one!
Biomass Boiler
We have built a biomass boiler on the site of our old toilet block, which will provide us with improved, environmentally friendly heating for the monkeys and their keepers and save our charity much needed funds! The use of biomass in heating systems has less effect on the environment than fossil fuels. Historically, before the use of fossil fuels in significant quantities, biomass in the form of wood fuel provided most of humanity’s heating. We will be constructing new, improved toilets for our visitors in the near future.
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Red-capped mangabey
SPECIAL APPEAL CERCOPAN has been monkeys. The task You may remember force has recomthat back in autumn providing a safe haven mended releasing last year, two of our for monkeys rescued some monkeys into team travelled to Nigeria to spend time at from the bush meat, illegal the wild and re-homing the others (based CERCOPAN rescue wildlife and pet trades on each individual’s centre. As part of our for 20 years. health, age and best commitment to supconservation pracporting projects overtices). This will take time and planning, seas, Monkey Sanctuary Site Manager, so funds are desperately needed to feed Tjark, and Senior Keeper, Macer, were able to share their skills in primate husbandry, and care for the monkeys over the coming months whilst resources are obtained general maintenance and mechanics to for release and re-homing efforts. benefit the monkeys that live there. CERCOPAN has been providing a safe haven for monkeys rescued from the bush meat, illegal wildlife and pet trades for 20 years. Unfortunately, we are sad to report that several primary donors have been unable to continue their support for the project recently, so CERCOPAN now has no choice but to close down due to lack of funding - placing the lives of 144 monkeys at risk. Wild Futures have since formed part of an expert international task force and have been on the ground to assess the situation to try and save the lives of the
Please visit www.everyclick.com/cercopan/info to donate to CERCOPAN’s emergency fund if you can. All funds raised will be used for primate care during this critical interim period and are crucial to save the lives of these 144 beautiful and threatened monkeys. On a more positive note, we are happy to announce that we are able to offer some small grants to fund overseas projects again this year and we will keep you updated on these fantastic projects and how we have supported them.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
EDUCATION UPDATE Our Education Team have been super busy over the winter months carrying out maintenance on the education buildings at The Monkey Sanctuary, with a particular focus on the Children’s Activity Room. At the end of November, Newquay College visited The Monkey Sanctuary with their BSc (Hons) Applied Zoology students as part of their ‘Communicating Zoology’ module.
Supporters’ Day 2015!
As part of their module coursework they have to produce educational resources for a conservation organisation. The group had some fantastic ideas which are currently being designed by the students and hopefully we will see some of these ideas become a reality on site in the coming months. As well as preparing the site for opening to visitors, the education team has been busy working on several other projects as well!
A big thank you to all of our wonderful adopters and supporters who attended our Supporters’ Day at the end of May. After a very rainy start (which threatened to completely ruin our lovely raffle!), the sunshine came out and we can safely say that everyone enjoyed a really special day, including our team and the monkeys!
Wild Futures becomes a Skype in the classroom partner! Skype in the classroom is a fantastic resource comprising of thousands of teachers around the world using Skype to make learning a virtual adventure and Wild Futures have been chosen are one of the guest speakers! We set up our online sessions from near the monkey enclosures or indoors if the weather is bad and discuss the implications of keeping primates in captivity and as pets. Our first Skype in the classroom session was with a high school in Maryland, USA. It proved to be a great success! The students really enjoyed it and adopted Mr Monkey and Lodi as a result. Here is what their teacher had to say:
an interesting perspective on their previously explored topic. I was so impressed with the presentation; it was thoughtful, informative, and fun! Paul had taken the time to ask the kids specific questions related to using animals for entertainment/keeping them as pets, and he even had some US statistics and Maryland statistics! The kids loved it, I have a very shy group of students and I could tell just how much they loved it because my normally quiet/nervous group couldn’t wait to ask questions. It was an amazing opportunity, and we were lucky Wild Futures was willing to meet with us over Skype!”
“My students recently wrote argument papers on animals in the entertainment industry and whether or not it is cruel to the animal. Not only was our presentation a chance to connect internationally, and see the Wild Futures sanctuary, but it provided
We have since had numerous bookings for online classroom sessions all over the world and it is proving to be a great way for our educational message to be spread globally, without ever leaving the sanctuary grounds!
Everyone enjoyed meeting their adopted monkeys, an update on the past year by our Director, Rachel, and a tasty lunch provided by The Treetop Café. We couldn’t do what we do without our fantastic supporters - thank you all and see you next year!
Skype in the classroom is a fantastic resource comprising of thousands of teachers around the world.
Thank you also to those who came to this year’s Supporters’ Day laden with gifts of treats and toys for the monkeys. Your adopted monkeys were very pleased. As you can see in the photograph – Billy made sure he got his fair share of nuts!
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Biggest and smallest!
smallest monkey Kiwi the capuchin monkey is the 2.1kg. at the sanctuary – she only weighs than 7 times Mario the Barbary macaque is more heavier at a whopping 15kg!
Youngest and oldest!
Lily the baby woolly mo nkey is the youngest mo nkey – she hasn’t celebrated her 1st birthday yet! Kwango the capuchin is a very old lady at aroun d 35 years old.
Who is this nosey monkey?! It’s little old Mickey!
Loudest and Quietest!
screams a very Kodak the capuchin monkey always s. loud “HELLO!” at the keepers he like quiet lady. Tanya the capuchin is a very shy,
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www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Events Fundraising for Wild Futures! Calendar 2015 Whatever your interest – we have an event for you!
18th July
Animal Welfare Day
25th August
Native Wildlife Day
31st October Spooky Day
Apple Class Challenge! We would like to say a big thank you to Apple Class from Norbridge Academy in Nottinghamshire for their brilliant fundraising efforts! Apple Class are 30 year 2 children (and their wonderful teacher Camilla) who have chosen Wild Futures as their class charity this year. They have been working hard to raise money in various ways so that they can adopt lots of our rescued monkeys to support our work. The class ran a sponsored Monkey Mile around their school field (6 laps on a very cold morning, wearing monkey accessories!) and have painted monkey faces and sold ice creams, buns and cookies. They also had an Easter bonnet competition, made and sold loom bands and their next planned event is a Wild Hair day! They
even sent a fantastic hamper of goodies for the monkeys at Christmas! So far they have raised an amazing £1000, which is just brilliant. We are always desperate for funds to continue caring for the monkeys at our sanctuary, so support like this is much appreciated and really does make a big difference to our work. If you are a teacher or group leader, we would love it if you would consider taking on a fundraising challenge for our charity. Similarly, if your workplace picks a ‘charity of the year’ to fundraise for each year, let us know so that we can send you some literature about our work to swing the choice in favour of the monkeys! Just drop us a line on fundraising@wildfutures.org.
2nd November
Sanctuary closes its doors to the public for the season
December (date tbc) Christmas Open Day For more information on any of our events go to: www.wildfutures.org/events or www.monkeysanctuary.org alternatively call us on 0844 272 1271.
Collection Can Appeal!
Skydiving Students! At the end of May, a group of 10 students from Plymouth University completed a skydive from 15,000ft dressed in monkey suits all to raise money for Wild Futures! We would like to say a big thank-you to these fantastic Flying Monkeys.
I organised a group of Plymouth University students to take on the challenge! As well as developing skills, we’ve had a lot of fun participating in fundraising events such as bake sales and bucket collections in our Student Union bar.
Sally Lamprell was the Flying Monkey Skydive Adventure Leader - here is what she had to say… “As a previous Intern Primate Keeper at The Monkey Sanctuary, I developed a great understanding of how Wild Futures protect primates and habitats in the UK and overseas.
The skydive itself was terrifying but an amazing, once in a lifetime experience and most importantly we have all made a great contribution in supporting the work of Wild Futures.”
Can you help the monkeys by placing a collection tin in your local shop, pub or petrol station? Most places are quite happy to take a tin when they know it is helping a worthwhile charity. It really will help support our vital work protecting primates and habitats worldwide and would be much appreciated.
If you fancy an exhilarating challenge this year and you want to raise money for the monkeys then please contact fundraising@ wildfutures.org!
Please give us a call or contact fundraising@wildfutures.org so that we can arrange to send you a tin!
Wanting to support their vital work further,
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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How you can help! ✁
Donate your birthday to the monkeys! Never know what gifts to ask for on your birthday? Don’t really need anything new?! Then why not donate your birthday to the monkeys and help us to protect primates and habitats worldwide! Here are some examples of how your birthday donations will help: • £500 will buy food for our monkeys for 1 week. • £250 pays a specialised, dedicated keeper to care for the monkeys for 1 week. • £100 buys a 10kg bag of monkey nuts • £75 will buy 1 month’s medication for our diabetic monkeys You can choose to collect donations in any way you like, but using JustGiving is probably the easiest way. Wait until a month or so before your birthday and visit www.justgiving.com to set up your fundraising page by clicking on ‘Start Fundraising’ and choosing ‘Celebrate an Occasion’. Then simply message your friends and family to let them know that you want to celebrate your birthday by helping the monkeys! Feel free to use our example message opposite.
Hello Friend, to charity! If you ay hd rt bi y m g n i at n I’m do sent, I’d love for you re p a e m ve gi to t wan conditions of om fr ed u sc re y ke on to help a m y a weeks’ worth bu ill w 10 £ st Ju neglect. g for one of the ve d an t i u fr us io lic of de ures’ Monkey ut F d il W at es liv monkeys that rough this page th e at n do n ca u Yo Sanctuary. here). I set up (insert link ecial gift on sp a ys ke on m e th ve Please gi my birthday. support! Thank you for your
Tick if you do not need a thank you letter. This helps us to save on postage costs, leaving more money for the monkeys.
Donations
Donations – Please fill in the form below to make your donation – Your generous gift today makes it possible for us to continue our work – Thank you!
A To make a general donation I would like to make a donation to Wild Futures of £ Cheque / PO made payable to ‘Wild Futures’
Please debit my credit/debit card
Card No Exp. Date
Security No.
Valid from Issue number
Name Address
Post code
Tel Email Signature Date
B Alternatively, to donate online, please go to www.wildfutures.org I would like to gift aid my donations to increase the value of all donations I have made for the past 4 years, today and all future donations to Wild Futures until I notify you otherwise. I confirm that I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and / or Capital Gains Tax for each year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or community amateur sports clubs that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give. I would like to receive the monthly email update on Wild Futures’ work.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Newsletter No. 38