Newsletter No. 39
Protecting primates and habitats worldwide
Registered charity No: 1102532
IN THIS ISSUE: Monkey Sanctuary update, Sign our new petition, Marmoset Appeal, Shop for Christmas and lots more
Season’s Greetings Editor’s Summary It’s all change again for the Wild Futures’ team: Taking a break from being open to the public (we have welcomed almost 30,000 visitors to our Sanctuary since April, hopefully educating, informing and sharing our passion for all things primate!), our staff and monkeys can focus on winter projects. For the staff, fantastic donations from Dickies and Result Clothing, mean staying dry and warm will be much easier, whatever the weather.
Donkey
On the subject of staying warm, we are already excited at how well our biomass boiler is working: It is efficient, it is saving the charity money (which means more for the monkeys) and it ticks all the right sustainability boxes; just brilliant and all due to the generosity of someone remembering us in their will. What a legacy!
Top Tweets Felicity Conditions @demidovii Visited The Monkey Sanctuary on 30.9.15. Absolutely loved it. Monkeys - awesome; staff dedicated educators. Thanks @wildfutures
Our supporters never cease to move us, showing their compassion for our monkey relations. The monkeys at the Sanctuary don’t really appreciate our winter weather, but in South America the climate is much better suited to primate lives. They do however, face other threats and the generosity of our supporters enables Wild Futures to support projects in habitat countries. Read about the impressive work of three such organisations on page 11.
Claire Morley @ClaireViva TY for all the work you do! @wildfutures you made my TOP 5 animal campaign & rescue groups from @VegfestUK London www.veganeffect.com/vegfest-london/ BMAC @Barbarymacaque Grateful thanks @wildfutures for supporting our work fighting the illegal #Barbarymacaque pet trade in #Morocco Luke Berman @lukeberman Please support the amazing work of @wildfutures protecting #primates & stopping the primate pet trade #charitytuesday Primate Voices @PrimateVoices The only pet monkey you should consider is a soft toy one from @wildfutures shop. They don’t bite and like to cuddle! BelleUnique-NY ICI @BelleUniqueNY @wildfutures I’m grateful for all that you do to assist these precious and beloved creatures! Such a beautiful act of kindness!
Marmosets are the smallest of the South American monkeys and sadly they remain very popular in the UK primate pet trade. Having focussed on capuchins for many years, we are very excited to launch our Winter Appeal to raise funds to build a home for life for their cousins, the marmosets. What a Christmas present that would be for the smallest victims of the primate pet trade! Make sure you keep up to date with the progress of this special appeal and more of our work, by signing up to receive Wild Futures e-news. Speaking of gifts, Gemma, who also stars in our Staff Profile feature, has some great ideas, read on… The best of the Season’s greetings to you all.
Rachel
PS: Remember to sign our new online petition: www. wildfutures.org/petition/ and help us end the cruel trade in primates as pets.
Designed & Printed by Redrok
www.redrok.co.uk
Wild Futures, Murrayton House, St Martins, Looe, Cornwall PL13 1NZ Tel: 01503 262532 • Email:info@wildfutures.org Web: wildfutures.org • monkeysanctuary.org • adoptamonkey.org @wildfutures
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Please pass this newsletter on to a friend or neighbour to raise awareness of our work.
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Staff profile:
Gemma Lawrence Wild Futures Trading Manager How did you first get involved with Wild Futures? I first came to volunteer at the Monkey Sanctuary fifteen years ago; it was a wild, dark and stormy night when I was dropped off, about to start a one month placement whilst on my gap years before university. I promptly fell in love with the work of the charity, the passionate people working here and of course the monkeys; all the rescues have such amazing characters and resilience. I volunteered off and on for five years whilst on gap years and at uni; I was a general volunteer, education assistant, café assistant and shop assistant! As I finished university, the charity rang me up and offered me a job; Primate Keeper and Retail Manager. I snapped it up. I was a keeper for seven years, whilst also managing the gift shop. What is your role now? Now, I co-manage Wild Futures Trading, the trading subsidiary of Wild Futures alongside Matthew Nott, our café manager. We set up the trading company to raise money for the charity through retail and catering activities four years ago and now handle all trading activities for the charity. We run the Treetop Café, Ice-cream Parlour and Gift Shop at the Monkey Sanctuary, as well as an online shop and a mobile catering unit, which operates at various festivals serving delicious veggie street food to the masses. We also take part in lots of events around Christmas to raise money for the charity. Most of my work keeps me on-site at the Monkey Sanctuary, so while I no longer work with the monkeys, I still get to see them all each day, and I know the work I do now is helping to support their recovery and helping to end the trade in primates as pets. What challenges have you faced over the years? The challenges I faced as a keeper were quite different to those I face now. Being a keeper, you are involved intimately with the health and wellbeing of the primates,
which can be both a rewarding and challenging experience. When new rescues come in, you share in their journey as they meet monkeys of their own species and learn how to be a monkey again - there are many highs and lows along the way. It is rewarding, but challenging, and certainly a job requiring much patience, common sense and stamina. Since moving into the trading company, my challenges have been quite different. The main one was actually setting up the company and getting us going, which was rather challenging during a recession! We learned to be resourceful and diverse in the ways we operated and made money, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. Now, four years on, we’re operating a successful trading company contributing to the finances of the charity, and hopefully that will only grow. What inspires you? Many things! Oddly, and perhaps many in the conservation world would disagree with me here, but I find human beings inspiring as a race. We have been alive as a species for such a tiny fraction of time in the history of the planet, and yet we
are one of the dominant species on the earth. We are capable of so much and despite the damage we have done in our short time on Earth, particularly the last few hundred years, we have also become aware of the repercussions of our actions with remarkable speed. One hundred years ago we had no idea that the burning of fossil fuels was damaging to our ozone, but now, many passionate people have moved towards trying to achieve the goal of living harmoniously with the planet. I look at all the charities, all the individuals and groups striving against many insurmountable odds to educate, to campaign and to change the world, often struggling against ignorance and apathy, and I feel that there is hope for us as a species, because let’s face it, when we talk about saving the planet, we’re really talking about saving ourselves. This planet has existed for billions of years, and life in many forms has walked upon it. If human beings fail to find ways to reduce our impact and live harmoniously with the planet, then we ultimately move towards our own destruction. I have hope that we are smarter than that eventuality, and I hope too that every step forward in education and awareness helps us to preserve not only our lives, but the lives of the flora and fauna of this remarkable world. What do you hope to achieve in the future? Really the main area for the future of the trading company with Wild Futures is to grow and increase the contribution we can make to the charity year on year. Eventually I would love to have a charity shop or two; selling second hand and vintage goods for the charity from a city or town shop. The other pipeline dream is to open a second veggie café offsite and perhaps have a small health food/ ecogroceries shop attached to that… watch this space! We’ll get there one day!
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Christmas Nuts for the Monkeys!
THE MONKEY SANCTUARY UPDATE
It has, once again, come to that time of year when The Monkey Sanctuary is closed to the public for a few months over the winter, giving the monkeys some quiet time before the New Year and allowing the Team to get on with a mountain of other work! We are pleased to report that 2015 was a great season for us, with (mainly) great weather and lots of visitors giving positive feedback on their day out! The monkeys,
of course, have also enjoyed another mild season with lots of much-needed sunshine, but are now spending a lot more time indoors with the early dark nights and colder weather! We are delighted to report that our new biomass boiler is working fantastically; efficiently saving our charity funds. We are so pleased with the results that we plan to replace a second boiler with a biomass version over the winter.
The monkeys find nuts irresistible and would love to have some in time for Christmas! We are running very low on nuts in shells at the moment and they are just too expensive for us to buy at a whopping £300 for a 20kg bag of mixed nuts. They make great enrichment for the capuchin monkeys, who use their intelligence and tool using abilities to open them using rocks. A few clever individuals have learned to hand them back to the keepers to open – including old lady Mickey and disabled Joey who are not strong enough to crack them with their teeth or smash them open with stones. With Christmas coming, nuts in shells are usually available in supermarkets, so you could just add a bag to your food shopping; walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, brazils and almonds will be very gratefully received!
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Lily
Although it seems like only yesterday we were writing in the newsletter about Lily’s birth, she has now celebrated her first birthday and has blossomed into a happy, confident, woolly monkey toddler! As many of you know, our Sanctuary has a non-breeding policy for ethical and practical reasons and Lily’s birth was a result of contraceptive failure in her mother, Maya. Despite this, she is a much loved addition to our Sanctuary and adored by monkeys and humans alike. She now spends lots of time off exploring on her own, but always keeps a close eye on mum and is still occasionally seen suckling from her. She has formed a particularly strong bond with
Ivor, who is very protective of her and still carries her around on his back. When the keepers are moving the monkeys around each morning to clean and enrich the woolly monkey enclosures, Lily and Ivor sometimes get temporarily separated. This does not please Lily at all and she has been known to throw herself on her back on the floor of an enclosure to have a screaming tantrum until they are reunited! We expect that she might just end up a bit of a spoilt princess like her mum... Just look how she has changed over the past year!
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Keeper for a Day feedback!
Cornwall Tourism Awards
We were delighted to be presented with the Bronze Award for ‘Wildlife Friendly Business’ at the prestigious Cornwall Tourism Awards ceremony in early November.
We are proud to have our work for native wildlife recognised as we make great efforts to encourage plants, insects, birds and mammals to thrive in the Sanctuary’s grounds.
The annual Awards shine the spotlight on what makes Cornwall such a successful place to visit and have become a recognised barometer for quality; recognising the valuable contribution which both businesses, and individuals within them, can make.
Thanks to sensitive habitat management techniques, our site is home to more than 385 different species, including lizards, foxes, deer, the lesser horseshoe bat and the rare pearl bordered fritillary butterfly.
Stuart Wilkinson took part in our Keeper for a Day experience this summer and sent us some great feedback: “How can perfection be improved?! I would like to add how impressed I was with your hospitality and professionalism. From the moment my day began, I was made to feel very welcome. Everyone took the time to remember my name and also my wife’s, when she joined me after lunch. The whole day was very enjoyable and educational, the knowledge shared by the individual keepers demonstrated their understanding of each characteristic of every primate in their care. It was truly amazing to see them using their body language and facial expressions to communicate. A wonderful day. Thank you.” Our Keeper for a Day experience provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain a unique insight into the day-today life of our primate carers; offering a behind-the-scenes insight into their roles and involvement in the monkeys’ daily care, as well as an introduction to some of the rescued monkeys and hearing their incredible stories. All the money we raise through this scheme goes to support our charity’s work, so your day as a primate carer will be making a difference to primates and habitats worldwide too!
Josh’s group enjoying one of the wonderfully sunny days this year
Plans for the Future Finally, we have lots of plans for the future at The Monkey Sanctuary, with various projects planned over the coming months for both monkeys and visitors! These include a brand new toilet block, a tea room with decking overlooking our beautiful woodland and re-vamping and re-siting some of our educational areas. The very exciting news is that we are planning to welcome a new species of primate into our care - see page 7 for our very special appeal.
Find out more about our Keeper for a Day experiences on our website www.wildfutures. org/get-involved/keeper-for-aday/, we also run a Kids’ Keeper for a Day for children between the ages of 5 – 15 www. wildfutures.org/get-involved/ kids-keeper-for-a-day.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Memoirs of a Party Animal!
CAMPAIGNS UPDATE
Latest Campaign to Protect Primates Primates are intelligent, social animals and they just do not make good pets!
Some of you will know Angela Humphrey, who is a wonderful supporter of our work. Angela has always loved animals and adopted Joey after discovering he had been kept as a pet in terrible conditions very close to where she lived. At aged 84 she has just selfpublished her first book, an autobiography, called Memoirs of a Party Animal – my Seven Decades in Animal Welfare. Angela’s book is available from Amazon.co.uk, with its proceeds donated to animal charities. This review says it all: “A delightful, entertaining and witty read. Angela tells her childhood story and how her passion for animals started.
For our latest campaign we have teamed up with our partners at RSPCA, The Born Free Foundation, British Veterinary Association, Captive Animals’ Protection Society, Four Paws and OneKind to, once again, call on the governments in the UK to introduce regulations that will end the keeping and trading of primates as pets. Of the monkeys that we have rescued from the pet trade over the years, all have arrived at our Sanctuary with psychological and/or physical damage. Primates are intelligent, social animals and they just do not make good pets! A lack of adequate species knowledge, veterinary care, social opportunity and space, as well as improper diet inevitably leads to suffering and we know that there are thou-
sands of primates confined to UK homes. 15 European countries have already introduced bans on keeping primates as pets, for either all, or some, species and it’s about time our country followed suit. We will continue to meet with our partners to push the campaign forwards, but we also need to show that members of the public agree with us! That is why we have launched our new petition and we need as many people as possible to sign it. If you have not yet signed, please do. If you have signed it, you can still help by requesting some petition copies and asking your friends and family to sign before posting them back to us! Visit www.protectprimates.org or email campaigns@wildfutures.org.
She tells of her travels and all the rescue centres around the world that she has visited and supported, as well as all the animal charities that she has been involved with. Angela is amazing and continues at age 84 working as hard as ever to help all animals in need.”
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Wild Futures Director, Rachel and Campaigns Manager, Cordelia meeting with our campaign partners
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Pablo’s Winter Pie
As you may remember from our last newsletter, DEFRA was supposed to review the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates this year. Unfortunately, this has not yet happened and we are disappointed to be told it has now been postponed until next year. We will continue to gather evidence, as always, and will be pushing for it to happen at the beginning of next year instead. In August, we welcomed George Eustice MP, Minister in charge of the Department
for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), to our Sanctuary to see first-hand some of the monkeys rescued from the UK pet trade. He was joined by Sheryll Murray MP who is a long term supporter of our work; she has been campaigning alongside us to bring an end to the keeping of primates as pets in the UK since 2010. It can be difficult to get the ear of politicians when it comes to animal welfare issues, but we are hoping that Mr Eustice’s visit will inspire him into taking action on this issue!
In other news… We are disappointed to see yet more exploitation of primates by celebrities and in the entertainment industry. Dez Bryant, a famous American Football star, has been showing off his new pet capuchin monkey, but we are pleased to see that various primate welfare organisations in the US have voiced their concerns and are encouraging Bryant to hand the monkey over to a sanctuary. Peugeot also used a capuchin monkey ‘actor’ in one of their latest adverts. The use of primates as actors is in many cases highly detrimental to the welfare of the individuals involved in ways that can manifest throughout their lifetimes.
Dez Bryant, with capuchin monkey,
Studies also show that the use of primates as actors may even have a negative impact on the survival of populations in the wild, by increasing demand for that species as pets and by diminishing understanding of their conservation status. We contacted Peugeot UK to express our concerns and we were very pleased to receive a positive reply stating that they were grateful to us for broadening their understanding of the issues and that they have no future plans to use non-human primates in their advertising materials.
Ingredients: • 25g vegan butter • 1 onion finely chopped • 100g celery, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 30g dried porcini mushrooms (soaked) • 300g chestnut mushrooms • 100g chopped chestnuts • 400g kale • 10 fresh sage leaves • 30g plain flour • 350ml unsweetened soya milk • 375g puff pastry Method: • Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter over a medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic, season, then cover and cook gently for 10-15 minutes until softened. • Drain the porcini then roughly chop. Add all mushrooms to onion mixture with the sage and chestnuts and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the milk, little by little, until the mixture thickens. • Half-fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Add the kale and simmer for 3 minutes until tender. Drain and add to the mushroom mix, season, then pour everything into a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. • Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Trim so it’s a little bigger than the dish. Add the filling. Lay the rolled-out pastry over the top and press the edges to seal. Cut shapes from any leftover pastry to decorate. Brush the pie generously with soya milk, then bake for 25 minutes until crisp and golden.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Urgent Marmoset Rescue Appeal There are currently around 5000 privately owned primates in the UK and common marmosets are the most common victims of inappropriate care. Marmoset monkeys are intelligent, social primates who naturally live in extended family groups in the lush rainforests of Brazil. These tiny, tropical monkeys are typically stolen from their mothers as infants and sold as pets for up to £1200. A lack of knowledge about their specialised needs often leads to them suffering terribly, physically and psychologically. Millie and Speedy, pictured, are just two of many marmosets we have recently been asked to help.
Millie, forlorn in her tiny cage.
Their stories are heartbreaking to read… Speedy’s owner was working overseas and didn’t want him anymore. He was living in a small, empty birdcage, in a cold, noisy warehouse on an industrial estate, with just a scrap of cloth on the floor of his cage to sleep on. All alone, an inappropriate diet of banana custard led to a life-threatening episode of hyperglycemia.
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Millie’s owners moved out of rented accommodation, leaving Mille and other pets behind. She was living on her own in a small cage in a windowless, draughty hallway of a house; denied access to UV light, which is essential for healthy bones. When we rescued her, she was overweight due to a poor diet and lack of exercise.
Speedy, cold and alone.
We worked quickly with our contacts to rescue Speedy and Millie, but stories like theirs are all too common. At present, we are unable to offer sanctuary to marmosets, but we know that they are out there and they desperately need rescuing. Due to a lack of re-homing space in specialist facilities, we fear that these individuals are often sold on, to continue a life of suffering in the pet trade.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
How you can help We urgently need to raise £60,000 to build a dedicated marmoset facility at our Sanctuary. With your help we can provide specialist care and a safe home for life to dozens of little marmoset monkeys like Millie and Speedy - the smallest victims of the primate pet trade. £60,000 will build a brand new complex of spacious indoor and outdoor enclosures to accommodate rescued marmosets in social groups; affording them a stimulating three-dimensional environment with natural vegetation, branches, ropes, platforms and hiding places to allow them to express natural behaviours and spend their days socialising with others of their own kind. These monkeys really need us to end their lives of suffering.
Can you help by donating today? Please help us give rescued marmosets a second chance at life by contributing towards our appeal, we cannot save them without your generous support. How to donate: Simply fill in the donation form on the back of your newsletter or using one of these options; • Visit our website www.wildfutures.org/marmoset-appeal and follow the link to donate! • Donate by Text Simply text RESC01 plus the amount you want to give (e.g. RESC01 £20) to 70070 – you have the option to Gift Aid too! • Donate by Phone Contact a member of our team on 01503 262 532 to make your donation over the phone. Your kindness can change lives. Thank you.
Grey Wulf
Get Involved in our Marmoset Appeal! As we have a large sum of money to raise, this special appeal will run over a number of months, which gives you time to really get involved! Why not organise a fundraising event for the marmosets with as an individual or at work or school? Just a day of your time doing a sponsored challenge, bucket collection or event
would mean so much to these tiny monkeys that need our help. Email fundraising@wildfutures.org for a free fundraising pack and ideas on organising your very own fundraising event – you can help us save the smallest victims of the trade.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Shop for Christmas Christmas is coming… so we thought we would share 10 gifts for £10 and under from our ethical online shop; there’s something for everyone and they make great stocking fillers! Visit shop.wildfutures.org
Monkey Sanctuary Tea Towel Shopping Bag
£4.00
£4.25
Christmas dinner for the monkeys!
(Special ‘virtual’ gift card)
£10.00
Animal Friendly Bath Crystals
£9.98 Vegan Cake Book Monkey Water Bottle
£2.99
Cartoon Monkey Keyring
Woolly Monkey Soft Toy
£1.99
£6.95 A7 Recycled Notepad
Limited Edition Pencil
£1.99
£2.99
£1.99
Adopt a monkey this Christmas! Christmas is only a few weeks away and you need look no further for a unique, meaningful gift! Adopting a Monkey makes a perfect present for all ages and also helps primates in need; by adopting a monkey for someone you love this Christmas, you’ll be helping us to rescue monkeys in desperate need, end the primate pet trade and fund our vital campaigns and education work. The recipient of your gift will receive
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discounted entrance to our Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall, a VIP invitation to Supporters’ Day, as well as forming a special lasting connection with a monkey in need of a safe home for life.
a personalised certificate, a photo and story of their adopted monkey, a cuddly monkey toy, newsletters, updates and
Adopting a monkey this Christmas couldn’t be easier, simply visit www. adoptamonkey.org and personalise your gift by choosing which monkey adoption you would like the ‘adopter’ to receive!
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
EDUCATION UPDATE
Our Education Team has been busy in the six months since our last newsletter was sent out, hosting lots of schools and colleges at the Sanctuary, some of which are now returning on an annual basis. We have also had several new home education groups on site, which have been a pleasure to teach. We recently attended Falmouth and Plymouth Universities during fresher’s week to promote our education work; which resulted in lots of volunteers signing up for internships and volunteer placements with us, as well as invitations to give seminars on our work. Our Education Officer also went to the Cornwall Careers Show; with over 4,500 students in attendance it was another great opportunity to chat to people about what we do. Our wonderful Education Assistant, Emily Burton, was a fantastic help over the summer months, giving talks to visitors, holding children’s workshops and helping to maintain the on-site education areas. Emily has now left us, but we are keen to have a new Education Assistant in place for February – if this is something that might interest you, just email education@wildfutures.org for more information! We had a team set up at Camp Bestival, in Dorset, again this year to put on workshops at the family festival. The festival provides a fantastic educational and outreach opportunity; we were able to teach thousands of children all about ‘growing your own’ vegetables, why monkeys shouldn’t be kept as pets and also chat to their parents about our work. ‘Mr Monkey’ our monkey mascot costume, proved to be a massive hit with the kids and our volunteers did an amazing job - spending hours in the hot, furry costume in the baking sun; all to raise much-needed donations for our charity!
Cheeko’s Island Adventure!
Exotic Animal Trade Symposium Our annual Exotic Animal Trade Symposium (formerly ‘Exotic Pet Trade Day’), held at Plymouth University in October, was a great success again this year with around 120 students and academics in attendance. Although our work focuses on primates, the exotic animal trade in the UK involves a variety of species, all of which have the capacity to suffer when kept in poor captive conditions. The exotic animal trade also often undermines valuable conservation efforts in native habitat countries, so our Symposium offers a great opportunity to educate on these issues. This year, the Symposium included speakers from Wild Futures, the RSPCA, Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) and Greg Glendells’ Parrot Behaviour Consultancy, with each speaker covering their role within the exotics trade and the issues they are confronted with. The feedback from the Symposium was very positive and we hope to see the event go from strength to strength.
Research update We have had an influx of research students wanting to carry out their projects at our Sanctuary this year. Only appropriate, completely non-invasive research is approved due to the sensitive nature of our rescued monkeys, but research contributing to primate welfare and/or conservation can be invaluable to our work.
Cheeko’s Island Adventure is a wonderful children’s book written by one of our fantastic Ambassadors, Jane Hoult. Jane was inspired to write the book after taking a holiday in the Caribbean, where she was horrified to witness two infant green monkeys, terrified as they were exploited amongst the tourists for money. Cheeko is a little green monkey who lives peacefully with his family on a beautiful tropical island, until something terrible destroys his home. During the chaos Cheeko loses his family and young readers can follow him on his island adventure to find them. There is an inspiring animal welfare and conservation awareness message in the story and a percentage from the sale of every book will be donated to Wild Futures’ work! If you would like to purchase a copy, Cheeko’s Island Adventure is available now from Amazon, Waterstones and Feeederead.com!
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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OVERSEAS SUPPORT
Education, Conservation and Welfare. We are delighted to announce that we have, once again, been in a position to award small grants to three wonderful projects so far this year.
Our rescued Barbary boys Mario, Chico and Donkey were almost certainly taken from the wild as babies, before being smuggled into Europe to be kept as pets.
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Barbary Macaque Awareness and Conservation In Morocco, Barbary Macaque Awareness and Conservation (www.barbarymacaque. org) is planning to continue to expand their programme to raise local awareness about, and promote participation in, Barbary macaque conservation. This is, of course, an issue very close to Wild Futures’ heart: Our rescued Barbary boys Mario, Chico and Donkey were almost certainly taken from the wild as babies, before being smuggled into Europe to
be kept as pets (or in Donkey’s case, to be used as a performer). We have provided funding for a portable educational exhibition that will appear in three Moroccan cities; volunteers will be trained to engage with the public about the plight of wild Barbary macaques, ensuring heightened public awareness about the illegality of removing these monkeys from the wild and keeping them as pets.
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Vervet Monkey Foundation The Vervet Monkey Foundation, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa (www.vervet.za.org), rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured primates and provides permanent sanctuary to those individuals who cannot be released. Vervet monkeys are persecuted as
“pests� in some of the areas where they occur, so the Vervet Monkey Foundation has their hands full with over 500 monkeys resident at their sanctuary. Our grant will help VMF rebuild one of their primary enclosures, which will keep the monkeys safe, provide work and education opportunities for local
workers and allow the Foundation to continue with their important work. We are proud to be working with such fantastic organisations to protect primates and habitats worldwide and it is with your support that we are able to do this.
Neotropical Primate Conservation Finally, we have also provided funding to Neotropical Primate Conservation (www.neoprimate.org), enabling them to carry out a health check programme for capuchin monkeys in four separate rescue centres in the San Martin region of North-Eastern Peru. The monkeys have been rescued from illegal traffickers, and, happily for some, there is potential for them to be returned to the wild.
NPC aims to ensure that this is done responsibly; before release, it must first be ascertained that each monkey is in good health and does not pose a risk to the wild populations to which they would be returned. To this end, NPC will work with the rescue centres, the wildlife authorities, and wildlife vet and epidemiologist Patricia Mendoza to ensure the best possible outcome for the capuchins.
Together, these three projects typify the work that Wild Futures aims to support in the years to come: Education, Conservation and Welfare. www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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monkey jokes
Q: What kind of a key opens a banana? A: A mon-key!
ughs? ys do for la e k n o m o d Q: What people! jokes about ll e t y e h T A:
monkey crosswords
Peek-a-boo! It’s little Lily!
Find the 8 foods our monkeys eat
Across 1. You might find this at the beach 2. This grows on trees and can be red or green 5. This grows on palm trees 7. This is made by drying grass
Down 1. You plant this in the soil to grow flowers 3. You can carve this at Halloween! 4. This is red, with seeds and goes in a salad! 6. This helps you see in the dark!
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www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
Events Calendar 2016 Saturday 13th – Sunday 21st Feb
Sanctuary Open for February Half Term
Friday 25th March
Sanctuary Main Open Season Starts
Calling young monkey fans! Are you under 16 or do you know anyone under 16 who is passionate about primates? Help to raise funds and awareness of our work by joining our team of Young Ambassadors today! Our Young Ambassador Scheme encourages young people to develop an understanding of and actively participate in our charity’s work, engage with the public and inspire other young people, whilst learning a host of new skills! Participants in the scheme gain valuable experience developing leadership and communication skills, all whilst helping to protect primates and habitats worldwide. Young Ambassadors can undertake a variety of roles including fundraising in schools,
assisting at our events, holding collections or taking part in exciting, sponsored activities. We are dedicated to providing our Ambassadors with everything they need to carry out their events and activities, including regular contact and support from a member of the fundraising team, as well as the necessary materials and resources. Anybody aged 16 and under can become a Young Ambassador for Wild Futures and we are also looking for dedicated individuals over the age of 16 to become Ambassadors for the primates.
27th and 28th March
Easter Sunday & Monday
Sunday 29th May
Environment Awareness Day
Friday 3rd June
Supporters’ Day (By invitation only – invites will arrive spring 2016)
Sunday 19th June
Father’s Day
Monday 20th June World Record Skydive!
Give our fundraising team a ring on 01503 262532 or email fundraising@wildfutures. org to find out more!
Join us for a World Record Skydive! Are you up for the challenge of a lifetime?! Experience the ultimate adrenaline rush and take to the skies to raise money for primates! We have places available for our supporters to join an official Guinness World Record attempt skydive on the 20th June 2016, at Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon. So what can you expect from this amazing challenge? After a safety briefing from your instructor, you will board one of the biggest, fastest and most comfortable jump planes in Europe and fly up to 15,000 feet above sea level, taking in spectacular views of the Devon Coastline. When you reach altitude, the green light will give the go ahead and you will experience one of the most breath-taking, exhilarating
moments of your life. As you exit the aircraft you may reach speeds of up to 120mph – freefalling up to 60 seconds! Your parachute will then unfold and the tranquillity that follows will enable you to talk with your instructor and take in the beautiful scenery for up to 5 minutes before you gently reach the ground.
Tuesday 24th July Animal Welfare Day
We are working tirelessly to rescue primates and protect their habitats worldwide, but we receive no government funding, so sponsored events like this skydive really do help to fund our vital work.
Sunday 28th August
We have 10 places held exclusively for our supporters, but the last two years filled up quickly so make sure you book your place today! Email fundraising@wildfutures.org or call us on 01503 262 532.
Plus
Native Wildlife Day
October
Open Weekends only
Saturday 22nd – Sunday 30th October Autumn Half Term
www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS
Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Postcode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your generous donations, monkey adoptions and support are vital to allow us to continue our work. But did you know that you can make your donation go further, enabling us to continue protecting primates and habitats worldwide, at no extra cost to you? If you are a UK tax payer and have made a donation or bought a monkey adoption in the last four years, we can claim the tax back from the government through Gift Aid. As a registered charity, we are able to claim back 25p for every pound do-
nated and it costs you nothing, no matter how big or small the donation! Gift Aid is so important to a small charity like ours - last year we were able to claim an extra £50,000 in Gift Aid, which covers the annual cost of food and veterinary care for the monkeys that live at our Sanctuary. To make your donation go further, please fill in the form below and return it to Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary, Murrayton House, St Martin, Looe, Cornwall, PL13 1NZ. Alternatively, you can scan it and email it to fundraising@wildfutures.org. Thank you.
Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 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 CASCs* 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.
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 donation to our Marmoset Appeal 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 Title
Security No. First Name
Valid from Issue number
Surname
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. 39