Newsletter No. 35
Registered charity No: 1102532
Protecting primates and habitats worldwide
Michaela Strachan Soft spot for primates
OLLIE
IN THIS ISSUE: The Justin Bieber scandal, landmark donation, a brighter year for the monkeys, how to create a wildlife garden and lots more
There’s so much to tell… Editor’s Summary Hello again! It feels like a long time has passed since I put pen to paper for our last newsletter, but that’s largely because a lot has happened since then; there is so much to tell you! Sometimes all I do is talk about the weather (the number one topic of conversation in the UK!) – but the fact is it makes a huge difference to our charity. After the wettest summer in 100 years in 2012, which equated to £50,000 in lost income from Sanctuary visitors, I am pleased to say that 2013 has been a much brighter year for us. Our Sanctuary has had 18% more visitors so far this year which means we have informed and educated an extra 4000 people on primate welfare and conservation. We pride ourselves on being an educational charity and so being able to reach out to many more people in this way is fantastic.
Morwella Tweets we like Johnny Vegas @ JohnnyVegasReal @ wildfutures Best of luck and well done on your ongoing efforts :-) Jo Swabe @joswabe @ wildfutures sure. You guys do great work. One day when I’m in your part of the world I’ll even come visit! susan penhaligon @ susanpenhaligon #ff @ wildfutures for all they do rescuing Woolly monkeys and other primates. Based in Looe Cornwall. Go see. Ape Action Africa @ ApeActionAfrica @ wildfutures Great to meet everyone at last! Wonderful, peaceful sanctuary for those monkeys. Thanks for your hospitality! :-) Victoria Wallen @ VictoriaWallen If you’re monkey mad and love primates then go follow @ wildfutures helping to end the primate pet trade right here in the UK! Go on!! Contributors: Paddy Saunders Head Gardener, The Monkey Sanctuary Alex Beckingsale Marjon University English student
Nevertheless, the need for fundraising continues; to cover all our rescue and rehabilitation costs at our Sanctuary, including veterinary and medical care, and to increase rescue and re-home capacity. You can read about some of the new fundraising initiatives we have launched this year to raise further funds and awareness. In this issue, find out about the hot topic in the campaigns world, the Positive List approach. Presently, the Positive List is being debated at a European level as a potential solution for the issues surrounding the exotic pet trade. This approach has been successfully adopted in Belgium and Greece, and more recently the Netherlands. I was lucky enough to catch up with wildlife presenter, Michaela Strachan, earlier this year to find out her thoughts on primates and the pet trade. Michaela first came into contact with our charity many years ago when she filmed an episode of the Really Wild Show at our Sanctuary. I hope you also enjoy the piece from our very own Sanctuary Head Gardener, Paddy, on how to set up your own wildlife garden. Encouraging native wildlife to thrive is one of our key aims. Our wildlife gardens have been full of beautiful species this year, including lots of bees and butterflies. On that note, I shall leave you to read our Autumnal update. I hope you find this issue interesting. Please email or send in any comments – they are much appreciated. Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Without you, our vital work for primates would not be possible. Warm wishes,
Hayley
Hayley Dann Editor
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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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Staff profile:
Tracey Lindop Fundraising Administrator
How did you first get involved with The Monkey Sanctuary? I joined Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary in winter 2010 as a volunteer, learning how to clean the capuchin and woolly enclosures. The more I found out, the more I liked the place; particularly the organisation’s stance on animal welfare and the Sanctuary’s non-breeding policy, not to mention its educational aims. A job came up on the admissions desk and I decided to go for it. As an exprimary school teacher, I wasn’t really worried about talking to large groups of people that visit on a daily basis. However, combine that with taking all the entrance fees, giving out membership cards and serving up to 500 visitors on a busy August day, it is a challenging job! I also began processing gift aid that was generated from the kind donations from our supporters and so after a season on the desk, I successfully got the job as Fundraising Administrator in the office. What challenges have you faced over the years? Learning how everything works! Which I am still doing! I planned and raised funds for a fundraising event last year for a cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. It was quite a challenge and I wasn’t even cycling! Being the support / driver / navigator / campsite locator / shopper / cook… dealing with 4 guys and their sweaty washing and looking after my dog, Molly, was pretty demanding, but much more fun than I expected and I was surprised at how good I was at navigating my way from one end of the country to another! It was definitely worth the effort as donations from
friends, family and Sanctuary supporters totalled nearly £6,000! What is your role now? As Fundraising Administrator, I find I am extremely busy in the summer, when we have many visitors on-site. I look after our ‘Adopt a Monkey’ scheme; it is my job to process all the adoptions and be the main point of contact for our adopters and supporters. We recently launched a Keeper for a Day for kids, which I also coordinate; it is proving really popular and is a fantastic day for
the love for animals and animal welfare, the protection of wild animals and their habitats, the desire to educate others - is inspiring. children, teaching them about what it is like behind-the-scenes as a keeper. Like everyone at the sanctuary, I do lots of other jobs to keep things running, so changing hand towels, toilet rolls, ordering food for the volunteers, is pretty much all in a day’s work! What inspires you? With a degree in environmental science, I feel like I have spent my adult life caring about environmental issues, so working with people who have a common aim and philosophy - the love for animals
and animal welfare, the protection of wild animals and their habitats, the desire to educate others - is inspiring. Of the supporters I meet and talk to; they want to help the monkeys in whatever way they can, whether that is adopting a monkey, regular giving, sending stamps or money for monkey food, or the many other ways they help us, makes coming to work worthwhile. Knowing that my work directly helps the monkeys is inspiration enough and seeing them healthy and happy in a very special place for life is all I really need. What will you be looking to achieve in the next 6 months? Encouraging more people to sign up to gift aid – gift aid is a great way for our charity to raise more money at no extra cost to the supporter. By just ticking the gift aid box, we can claim 25% on top of the donation from the government. Last year we were able to claim £45,000 in gift aid which is enough to feed all our rescued monkeys for a whole year and pay for a specialist keeper’s salary. Just ticking that little box makes a huge difference! I also look forward to getting to know more of our supporters, either when they visit or just chatting over the phone. I hope to meet more people on the Keeper for a Day Experience - kids and adults - as they always have such good feedback to give me after their day. I have a feeling that next year is going to be an exciting one, as we will be celebrating 50 years of our Sanctuary – there will definitely be lots to keep me busy!
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Adoptions by Alex Beckingsale
UK Project Update: The Monkey Sanctuary
A brighter year for our rescued primates Since our last newsletter, a lot has happened at our flagship project, The Monkey Sanctuary. We opened in March, slightly earlier compared to last year, as an attempt to try and recoup some of the lost funds from last year’s floods. We are pleased to report that we have had a good year so far, with May in particular being a ‘bumper month’ for visitors.
The work we do at The Monkey Sanctuary is reliant on donations, one important donation source is adoptions. People from all over the world adopt monkeys at the Sanctuary, helping our team to give them the best future possible.
We took in a new capuchin in May called Tam. The initial request actually came from Tam’s owners who recognised they were no longer in a position to care for him and he needed company from his own kind. Tam is 15 years old. He used to live with his brother but sadly his brother died a few years ago and Tam had been on his own
by the large tree canopies. Although our Sanctuary grounds are very lush and wild, surrounded by woodland, the monkeys can still get too much sun. The woolly monkeys continue to do well. Maya celebrated her 21st birthday in May this year, not forgotten by one of her long term adopters, who sent her a special card. We made Maya an oat birthday cake, which she enjoyed on our annual Adopters’ day this year. The Barbary boys have been watching our maintenance team intently as they commence construction of a new indoor enclosure. The enclosure was made possible thanks to the efforts of a group of cyclists who cycled from Land’s End to John
It’s simple: you choose a monkey through our website, or during a visit. You then select how you wish to pay, either in one lump sum of £36 for the year or monthly payments of £3. Simply send us your adoption form and we’ll send you a welcome pack, photos, certificate of adoption and information about your monkey. You also receive Wild Futures’ newsletters, and an annual pass to the Sanctuary. Each year, the Sanctuary holds an annual Adopters’ Day, opening for adopters and their families. This is a great opportunity for adopters to see the inner workings of the Sanctuary, including talks with keepers, and a chance to see your adopted monkey. The continual support we receive from adopters is a vital source of income for the monkeys. To get involved and Adopt a Monkey, please visit www.adoptamonkey. org or contact Tracey Lindop, Fundraising Administrator, on 0844 272 1271 or by email: tracey_lindop@wildfutures.org
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Ivor with flour sack with hidden seeds. Boo, Jackie and Frosty. ever since. When Tam arrived he had a few health issues including frostbite on his fingers; however a few months in, he is doing really well.
Wild Futures are currently reviewing expansion plans for our rescue and rehabilitation facilities.
It can take months, even years, to rehabilitate and successfully integrate a new monkey. Luckily for Tam, he socialised well from the outset and his integration into Kodak’s group has been successful. Tam has become good friends with Joey, our severely disabled monkey, and it has been lovely for the keeper team to watch Tam’s confidence and friendships flourish. The capuchin groups have all enjoyed the summer weather this year. It makes a nice difference to last summer. We did have to keep an eye on their skin at times, because believe it or not, monkeys can burn like us. In the wild, monkeys are sheltered
O’Groats last year, led by our very own Tracey, who features in this newsletter’s staff profile. We hope to complete construction in time for this year’s winter, providing we secure the remaining level of funds required. As we get ready to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2014, the Wild Futures management team is currently reviewing expansion plans for our rescue and rehabilitation facilities. We know that the primate pet trade continues to grow and we need to ensure we are better placed to meet demand. As the only accredited sanctuary in Europe, we receive regular calls to take in more monkeys and for as long as it is legal to have a pet monkey in the UK, the demand will continue to rise.
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IPPL UK
A gift for the future Gifts in Wills have been a vital source of income for our charity over the years. All gifts, no matter how small or big are put to good use; they have helped us care for more than 160 monkeys over the past 50 years. In fact, a legacy is what led to the creation of our rescue centre in the 1960’s, The Monkey Sanctuary, due to the founder, Len Williams, being left a woolly monkey in a Will. People tend to update their Wills at signifiLen Williams cant life points – marriage, birth of a baby etc. The process is normally quite easy and consists of an appointment with a solicitor who will ask you a few questions and then draw up a draft copy. You can then make any amendments to the draft and the solicitor will make sure you are happy with everything before signing. Once complete, it can give piece of mind that your wishes are set down in a legal document. We are pleased to announce that solicitors, Nash and Co have come on board and partnered with us on a Will writing scheme. If you make a Will with Nash and Co and mention Wild Futures upon making an appointment, then they will donate a percentage of the Will writing fee to our charity. For more information, including a copy of our Legacy Pack, please contact Hayley Dann on 0844 272 1271 or Hayley_dann@wildfutures.org
Ethical, sustainable & recycled gifts We care about where we source our products from and whether they are made sustainably. All of the profits from our shop go straight back into helping the monkeys and so you can shop in the knowledge you are making a positive difference! Our selection of monkey toys is always popular with the kids and our jewellery range has proven popular with fashion conscious females. New this year, is a range of stunning cards by Australian photographer Sue Earnshaw. Sue has captured wildlife all over the world, including many primates. Priced at just £1.99, they can be used as cards or why not purchase a selection and make a multi frame collage of them all?
Adopting a monkey can also make a great Christmas present for someone – at just £36 for the year or £3 a month, you can adopt any of our monkeys at the Sanctuary. In return your gift recipient will receive a certificate, photos, visitor card to the Sanctuary, VIP invitation to our annual Adopters’ Day and lots more.
Sadly, the charity, IPPL UK (International Primate Protection League UK), closed earlier this year. We had a very strong relationship with IPPL UK, due to the fact that our charitable aims were closely aligned and our Sanctuary is home to many monkeys that were initially rescued by the charity. Before it closed, IPPL UK made a landmark donation to Wild Futures. The donation will enable our charity to expand our work. We have reached a time where we are nearing capacity at our Cornish Sanctuary site. We only have enough space for 8 more monkeys, depending on species. Our profile has risen significantly, due to the national publicity from our campaigns work, and because we remain the only officially accredited sanctuary in Europe by GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries). We are extremely grateful to IPPL UK trustees and most importantly its supporters for the donation. It is going to make a huge difference to our plans ahead. We are currently reviewing plans in order to maximise capacity at our existing site but also other sites for the future. This will be communicated to supporters as plans progress.
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The Bieber Scandal
Ross Noble
comedy craziness We were devastated to learn that pop star Justin Bieber had a pet monkey. His monkey, a white faced capuchin called Mally was confiscated by the German authorities. Our concern was that if Justin was to keep the monkey, that many fans would copy him. We were at the forefront of the campaign and ensured that Mally ended up in a reputable sanctuary.
Primates are not pets!
Fortunately, Justin made the right decision and requested Mally to be rehomed. Mally has since ended up in a German zoo. We cannot comment on the quality of the zoo, and it is likely that Mally will be put into a breeding programme, something that we do not advocate as a sanctuary.
In June we were contacted by Ross Noble, Geordie comedian, asking if he could film one of our monkeys using a typewriter as part of his new show. We quickly got in touch to explain why it was not a good idea, but suggested an alternative which he agreed to film instead.
Joey Essex
European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries
It was reported that Joey Essex, from the reality show, ‘The Only Way is Essex’, had been talking about getting a pet monkey. We got in contact with Joey and his agent, and sent Joey an invitation to watch our film, ‘Joey’s story by Stephen Fry.’ Joining forces with other animal welfare organisations, we wrote a joint letter to Joey, asking him to meet Joey, the capuchin. Afterwards, Joey Essex announced that he was no longer interested in getting a pet monkey.
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The alternative was to ask Wild Futures’ volunteers to dress in monkey suits to use a typewriter, a task which, as you can
Rachel Hevesi and Hayley Dann both attended the EARS conference this year, which was held in East Germany at the Four Paws Bear Sanctuary Bear Park, Muritz. It was a fruitful conference with many subjects on the agenda for discussion. One of the key objectives of EARS is to share best practice and so a seminar was delivered by our own Hayley Dann, along with Stitching Aap’s fundraiser (Holland), Petra Sleven, on income generation and PR for animal welfare charities. It prompted much discussion and was very thought provoking for some of the younger
imagine, the volunteers jumped at. Ross stayed at the Sanctuary for hours, becoming absorbed in the films, monkeys’ stories and an overview of our charity’s work by Director, Rachel Hevesi. He ended up adopting fellow Geordie, capuchin Josh, for 5 years. Before he left he stocked up on lots of ethical goodies from our gift shop including presents for his children.
sanctuaries, in particular from Eastern Europe. During their time there, Hayley and Rachel were treated to a tour of the Bear Park, which was gratefully received and both were lucky to see hibernation dens that the bears had very recently vacated – something that you would not normally see in captivity. We are proud that we are a founder and board member of EARS; an organisation that continues to go from strength to strength and will always have animal welfare standards and protection at its core.
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Flying Monkey Sky Dive The Positive List approach The exotic pet trade is a huge industry, expanding at a worrying pace. We know all too well that the complex needs of exotic animals can be difficult to meet in captivity, based on our 50 years’ experience from rescuing and providing a home for life for more than 160 monkeys. We hear time and time again the same story – a pet owner gets a monkey when it is cute and cuddly as a baby; a few years down the line it reaches maturity, becomes aggressive, the novelty wears off and that’s when we get the call. By then it is too late for the monkey, it has been damaged in some way, either physically or mentally or both. We are a member of ENDCAP, which looks at the wider issue of keeping any exotic pet and sets out three areas at threat from this industry [1] including the primate pet trade: Public health: Around 75% of emerging human diseases are zoonotic (transmissible from animals to humans) and these are significantly associated with wild or exotic pets. A survey of 1,410 human diseases found 61% to be of potentially zoonotic origin. There are at least 70 human diseases attributable to captive wildlife and pets. Some of these diseases are also a potential threat to agricultural animals. Animal welfare: activities such as wild capture, breeding and the keeping of wild pets in the home, account for an annual mortality rate estimated at over 80%. Furthermore, up to 75% of reptiles kept as pets have been found to die within one year. Environmental impacts: the impact of invasive alien species alone is thought to cost the US over 120 billion dollars annually, and in the EU 13.5 billion Euro annually – although in the order of 13% of species have been assessed. Much of this cost is attributable to released or
escaped imported wild-caught or captivebred exotic pets. There is also a broader environmental cost associated with biodiversity loss and its role in global economics. The regulation of the private keeping of wild animals is left to EU Member States. While all of them have some type of animal protection law, the level of protection, the animals covered and the rules related to the private keeping of exotic animals, vary greatly. For many years we have campaigned for a total ban on the keeping of primates as pets, but with little government focus at this time of austerity, when little more is considered than the state of the economy, we have recently been debating along with other animal welfare organisations and groups, whether a slightly different approach may be more effective in the UK, but with the same end result. Belgium, The Netherlands and Greece have all chosen to adopt the ‘Positive List’ approach, providing them with a reference list and framework to work from to manage the exotic pet trade in their country. Any species not on the list are prohibited from trade and private ownership as pets. The Netherland’s list was unveiled this summer and will be effective from January 2014. Our Director, Rachel Hevesi, attended European meetings this summer to discuss the Positive List approach and hear about the recent adoption in the Netherlands. Discussions with other UK animal welfare charities are now underway into how and to what extent our country could follow suit. We hope to update you with further progress in our next newsletter but to find out more information, please email campaigns@wildfutures.org [1] THE USE OF POSITIVE LISTS TO IDENTIFY EXOTIC SPECIES SUITABLE TO BE KEPT AS PETS IN THE EU, End Cap, July 2012, http:// endcap.eu/
This year 21 people have taken part in our Flying Monkey Sky Dive. Taking part were 10 students from Plymouth University who got involved through their Raising and Giving Committee (RAG). The students raised in excess of £1,500, which is a great achievement. They are now aiming to get 50 flying monkeys for 2014! The Flying Monkey Sky Dive was sponsored by local signwriting company, Yellowbird Media, and members of staff from the company joined in with the jump. We would like to say a massive thank you to all of our Flying Monkeys who raised in excess of £4,000 for Wild Futures this year. Due to the success of the event, we will be organising a Flying Monkey Sky Dive twice a year. The next dive will take place on 1st of March, 2014 at Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon. For more information and to register for the next event please contact our fundraising team on 0844 272 1271 or fundraising@wildfutures.org
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Michaela Strachan Soft spot for primates I caught up with Michaela in the spring after going to watch her latest project, The Really Wild Adventures Tour where she recites a series of poems from her book; each one based on a different animal. Michaela first came into contact with our charity when one of the episodes for the Really Wild Show was filmed at our Sanctuary back in the eighties. Following our interview Michaela was kind enough to adopt Ollie, one of our woolly monkeys for her son, also called Ollie! When and how did your love for wildlife first begin? My real passion for wildlife has developed as I’ve got older. My passion as a child was for dance. I was obsessed with dancing, singing and general performance. I had a love for animals and a passion for animal rights but I really got into wildlife after I started presenting. I fell into wildlife presenting and as my knowledge grew so did my absolute love for animals and the environment.
Michaela first came into contact with our charity when one of the episodes for the Really Wild Show was filmed at our Sanctuary back in the eighties. What is your view on the primate pet trade?
And primates? I think I’ve always had a soft spot for primates. I think it’s a very natural thing for any nurturing female to love primates as they are so similar to us. Again though, my passion grew after filming with so many primates especially filming with orphaned primates such as chimps, gorillas, orangutans. What projects have you been involved in linked to primates? Many! Over the years I have filmed many primate projects but the ones that really stand out are BOS, The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation where we filmed the series ‘Orangutan Diaries’ for the BBC and the chimp sanctuary in Cameroon that rescues orphaned chimps and gorillas who are orphaned as a result of the bush meat trade. As an organisation we are striving to become palm oil free. How do you think we can encourage more people to do the same?
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I don’t think you should be palm oil free! You can’t stop developing countries making money out of palm oil. What needs to be done is to work out a way of making it more sustainable which is being done through the roundtable on sustainable palm oil. The trouble is it’s very difficult to know what products have palm oil in them and which ones come from a sustainable source. I don’t think boycotting palm oil is the answer though.
As a child I adored monkeys and fantasised about having one as a pet. Now I’m an educated adult I realise that it’s totally wrong to indulge that childhood dream and it’s as ridiculous as wanting a pet tiger or elephant. As the saying goes, ‘if you love something, set it free’. Anyone who has a love of primates should know that they are far better off in the wild where they belong and it would be totally indulgent and selfish to want anything else. I was actually very shocked to hear just how many primates are kept as pets in this country.
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Poem by Michaela See if you can guess the type of primate this poem is about. Email your answer to fundraising@wildfutures.org to win some Wild Futures goodies! Grey T shirt White gloves Black fingers sticking out. See if you Can guess What animal I’m on about Long arms Strong Tail Swinging through the trees Black shorts Black feet Red leg warmers to the knees Orange face Dark eyes With eyelids powder blue Tufty beard Colour white And here’s the final clue Rare monkey Vietnam’s home It’s tricky that’s for sure This poem was printed by permission of Michaela Strachan from her book ‘Michaela Strachan’s Really Wild Adventures’. !
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Corporate We are very pleased and grateful to all our corporate supporters who have come on board so far this year:
Education Update
Crylla Valley Cottages have joined us as a corporate adopter and adopted Billy. Blue Chip Holidays have adopted Amy. Sykes Cottages have adopted Sheila. Radio Plymouth Radio Plymouth have adopted Ollie and joined us at our Big Monkey Mile in the summer. Tricia Duff, Sales Manager from Radio Plymouth said “We are proud to be supporting Wild Futures and all of the amazing work that they do.”
We have two part-time education officers; their time is shared between monkey care and education, so they do a really good job achieving what they do in a small amount of time. Sadly, we said farewell to education officer, Katie Timmins, at the beginning of the year who moved out of the area, but we welcomed Paul Reynolds, who settled in very well (probably also due to the fact that he spent a year with us as an intern before!).
School visits to The Monkey Sanctuary continue to be popular and we were delighted to host a second visit for London based school, St Alban’s, who continue to raise much-needed funds for the monkeys. This year the team also launched a new experience for children: Kids’ Keeper for a Day. This is a unique educational experience and is already proving to be popular. Here is a short thank you letter we received this year: “My nephew, Alexander, and I greatly enjoyed our visit to The Monkey Sanctuary on Thursday for Alex’s ‘Keeper for a Day’. It was both educational and fun, and great value for money. Being able to see ‘behind the scenes’ really made the day memorable!
Being able to see ‘behind the scenes’ really made the day memorable!
Thank you • Next for wellington boots • A&M Defence & Marine Services Ltd for ropes • Brandon Tool Hire for a power tower for filming purposes • Northgate Vehicle Hire for lending a van for our events • Brunel Microscopes for a microscope • Guest Medical for alcohol gel for hand washing • Bigger Printing for free pull up banners • Greg Bos Photography for services relating to the Big Monkey Mile If you would like to find out more information on how your business can benefit from working with our charity in a mutually beneficial way, please get in touch by emailing Hayley_ dann@wildfutures.org
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Education is a key aim of our charity and we educate thousands of people every year on primate welfare, creating a greener life and sustainable practices.
Both Paul and Claire Turnbull have successfully delivered onsite Monkey Sanctuary educational conservation events such as Native Wildlife day and World Oceans’ day. In addition, Paul has been delivering educational events off-site in local schools and holiday parks, receiving fantastic reviews and feedback. Plymouth, our nearest city, has a large shopping mall, and this summer the education team and volunteers were present every Wednesday to deliver educational sessions throughout the entire summer holidays. This was a great success. Our annual exotic pet trade day which invites animal experts to talk about the effects and state of the trade, with respect to birds, reptiles and of course primates was held at Duchy college during October this year. This has always delivered an educational and eye opening experience for delegates and is a key event for us to get across the vital messages for why primates do not make suitable pets.
We both learned a great deal and I was thoroughly impressed by the knowledge and the obvious love for the work, and the monkeys, shown by all the keepers that we met. We would like to give our thanks to Claire, Rachel, Tania, Brian and Becky for their time and to you for allowing us the opportunity to have a short glimpse of their enthusiasm.” Education is not just aimed at children, in fact we are educating visitors every day through our keeper talks, Sanctuary displays, films and activities; it is this mix and intimacy to a working sanctuary that makes our charity unique. It is especially rewarding when you meet a visitor who has just arrived at the Sanctuary admissions desk, asking if they can “touch” or have a “close encounter” with a monkey, but before leaving, they ask to sign our petition. It is then we know we have done our job well.
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Happy Monkey Smoothies, Good Natured Ltd
Happy Monkey Smoothies joined our troop as main sponsor of our Big Monkey Mile in Plymouth, with 130 people registering to take part. Rachel and Tania at the vets
Veterinary Appeal All of the monkeys we re-home are given a full vet check before their arrival at our Sanctuary. A routine check includes x-rays and blood tests, which costs at least £500 a time. This cost can quickly escalate if any further problems are diagnosed. Take Grips for example: Grips is a capuchin monkey who we rescued in 2010. He was born into the pet-trade and his mother died shortly after his birth. He was named Grips after the way he held onto his owner in the way that the vulnerable baby monkey would have held onto his mum.
cause very serious health issues. Grips has been living at the Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary since 2010 and has responded well to the medication that we need to give him. He happily socialises with the other monkeys, enjoys a varied diet and the wild spacious enclosures we provide at the Sanctuary. Nevertheless, regular checks are essential for the rest of his life.
A third of our rescued monkeys suffer with blood sugar problems
Grips’ initial health check revealed a worrying problem. Like many other monkeys we rescue, Grips was fed sweets, sugary fruit and chocolate biscuits as treats. He was emaciated and losing fur. His blood sugar levels were alarmingly high and he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes develops when a body can’t produce enough insulin or when the insulin that is produced doesn’t work properly to maintain normal blood sugar levels. As in humans, it is essential to control blood sugar levels in our monkeys, to prevent further problems developing later on. Almost a third of our rescued monkeys suffer with blood sugar problems and if untreated, this can
Many runners dressed up including a 67 year old gorilla on roller blades. The event gained a lot of publicity and we look forward to the next one!
It costs us nearly £6,000 a year to provide all the veterinary care needed at our Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is currently home to 37 monkeys in total and has cared for more than 160 during the past 50 years. 80% of our rescued monkeys suffer with a number of physical and behavioural issues, and veterinary costs continue to rise year on year. We are appealing for support this winter to help us to provide essential veterinary care to our rescued monkeys. You can make a donation on the back page or by visiting our website www.wildfutures.org/ vetappeal where you can also watch a short film about Grips. Your support will make a huge difference and help us to give monkeys like Grips a better life. At the same time your support will help us continue in our campaign to end this awful trade.
Fry’s Distribution Fry’s Distribution jumped on board this year as sponsors of our Wild Catering business. They’ve been our trusted vegetarian suppliers for a long time and have agreed to sponsor for 3 years. Lisa Drummy, Director of Beanies Health Foods and Fry’s Distribution stated: “We love the work of Wild Futures – they save monkeys from often appalling conditions and allow them to live out the rest of their lives in a safe and nurturing environment. We are so happy to be sponsoring Wild Futures and supplying Fry’s vegan goodies to their Wild Catering operation – we hope that our support will help them continue their fantastic work.”
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Houmous the dip
Ambassador Update
Bistro One’s Houmous serves 8 to 10 By Stephen Barrett
• 1 medium sized butternut squash – skinned and cubed • 2 or 3 cloves of bruised, peeled garlic • Small piece of finely chopped ginger • 1 tablespoon of well-stirred tahini • Juice of one lemon • Olive oil to bind and to use when roasting the squash etc.
As an Ambassador, you will have the full support of the Wild Futures team.
Wild Futures’ Ambassadors are a network of volunteers across the country who support us by organising fundraising activities, representing Wild Futures in their local area and helping to engage people with the work and aims of our charity. Here are just a few examples of the outstanding work of our Ambassadors: Beth Roberts
Roast the butternut squash, ginger and garlic in a scant amount of olive oil for app. 30 mins in a medium oven.
In February 2013, Beth led a team of students at Falmouth University and organised ‘Monkey Week’. Monkey Week saw a whole range of monkey-themed fundraising activities take place including film nights, jungle parties, cake sales and sponsored waxing. The students managed to raise nearly £800 and are already planning Monkey Week 2 for 2014!
Remove and cool.
Andy Ford
Place all in a food processor and pulse until broken up.
Andy Ford has adopted one of our woolly monkeys, Ollie, for a number of years and became an Ambassador for Wild Futures during the summer of 2012. He signed up to complete three road marathons in 2013; Paris (7th April), Manchester (28th April) and Edinburgh (26th May) raising a total of £260 to date through his JustGiving page http://www.justgiving.com/AFMMM.
• 150g max. of pre-soaked and cooked chick peas • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Add the cooked chick peas and tahini and pulse until just mixed together. Drizzle in enough olive oil to emulsify but if too thick add a scant amount of warm water to break to desired consistency. Add lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to taste. Go to www.bistro-one.co.uk for more info.
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Luke Berman Luke successfully climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro this year, raising almost £3,000 for Wild Futures. With just four hours sleep before climbing the last
section and on a vegan diet, he is an inspiration. Luke’s fundraising included eBay auctions, car boot sales, awareness stands and street collections.
This year, Luke’s also worked hard to start a London fundraising group for Wild Futures. The group aims to have a presence at least every 6 weeks in London, by way of a stall or collection. Their first big event was the London Veg Fest, where they achieved 283 petition signatures and sold lots of Wild Futures’ merchandise. There are many ways Ambassadors can make a difference and support Wild Futures. You could organise a fundraising event; distribute collection tins to shops, cafes, restaurants etc. in your local community; take part in an organised event to raise funds; or perhaps you have a new and unique idea for fundraising and raising awareness of our cause. Whatever you do and how much you do, is completely up to you. As an Ambassador, you will have the full support of the Wild Futures team. You will have an allocated member of staff that can be contacted directly for advice and support. In addition, you will receive a range of resources to assist in your fundraising. If you would like to get involved, please contact Hayley Dann on 0844 272 1271 or email Hayley_dann@wildfutures.org
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Events Calendar 2013/14 Whatever your interest – we have an event for you!
15TH DECEMBER CHRISTMAS OPEN DAY AT THE MONKEY SANCTUARY Come along and join in all the Christmas fun at the Sanctuary including mulled wine, mince pies, purchase some ethical gifts and take part in our Christmas raffle. MARCH 2014 - DAVIDSTOW HAUNTED SLEEPOVER Join us to spend a night at the eerie Davidstow Military Museum. Activities will be held throughout the spooky venue in old air raid bunkers, the old function room and many more exciting areas that have lots of ’energy’! 1ST MARCH 2014 FLYING MONKEY SKY DIVE Have you ever wanted to jump from 15,000ft dressed as a monkey?… Now is the time! By raising £395 you will be able to jump for free. Your money will support the work of Wild Futures and you get to have an incredible, fun-filled experience! 6TH APRIL - WILD CYCLE Back by popular demand, Wild Cycle, the 35-mile mixed terrain bike ride in Cornwall. Register your interest now! MAY - ANNUAL ADOPTERS’ DAY All our adopters will be sent a VIP invitation to this special day at our Sanctuary.
AUGUST - THE BIG MONKEY MILE, PLYMOUTH A one mile fun run around Plymouth’s central park. Participants are all invited to dress up as monkeys and will receive a medal and goody bag for taking part! SEPTEMBER - THE WILD FUTURES CORNISH VEG FEST Stalls, cooking demos, talks by day and music by night, the Wild Futures Cornish Veg Fest will be a huge hit. We are looking for stall holders, volunteers and sponsors to join us in this new and exciting event. Or just put the date in your diary now to come along. Register for email updates by emailing fundraising@wildfutures.org KILIMANJARO 24TH SEPTEMBER – 4TH OCTOBER 2014 At 5,895 metres, Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes ever to break through the Earth’s crust. In September 2014 why not take on this incredible 12-day challenge to reach its summit, raising funds for Wild Futures! COSTA RICA COAST TO COAST CHALLENGE 6TH NOV – 15TH NOV 2014 Take part in the ultimate bike ride for Wild Futures… pedal your way 500km from the Pacific to the Caribbean!
We will be celebrating 50 years of our Monkey Sanctuary in 2014. Could you help us celebrate by organising an event next year to raise funds for our charity? We would love to advertise 50 events for 50 years! Contact us for a pack on how to organise an event. In return we will advertise your event on our website and in our Spring 2014 newsletter, plus be there every step of the way to support you.
Contact us at fundraising@wildfutures.org or visit www.wildfutures.org/events for more information. www.wildfutures.org | info@wildfutures.org | www.monkeysanctuary.org
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Seabird Rescue
How to Create a Wildlife Garden by Paddy Saunders
Earlier this year the Wild Futures team headed down to our local beach in Seaton. Hundreds of dead birds had been washed up on the shore covered in a sticky glue-like substance, thought to be polyisobutylene (PIB). PIB is used commercially in everything from plastic explosives to tyre linings to chewing gum. The source was thought to be from ships flushing their ballast tanks into the sea, which was permitted by law at a distance of 12 miles offshore. Our team found 4 guillemots which were taken to the RSPCA’s West Hatch centre in Taunton for treatment. The dead birds included guillemots, razorbills, gannets and a cormorant. Wild Futures added to the voice for the call for PIB to be reclassified to make it illegal to dump it at sea, preventing further tragedies for wildlife. We are pleased to announce that the International Maritime Organisation has since banned the discharging of PIB at sea.
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This article is an introduction to wildlife gardening. In future newsletters we hope to showcase in more detail how to create specific wildlife- friendly areas within a garden.
The misconception that wild gardens are ugly and untidy has become less common
Wildlife gardening has become popular and thankfully the misconception that wild gardens are ugly and untidy has become less common. But some people may need a bit of conversion to be able to see the beauty in wild gardens. Gardens are always subjective places and to my mind there’s nothing more unattractive than a neat gravel garden with some horrible conifers. Below is a brief guide that is possible even in quite a small garden. It is a popular misconception that woodlands are declining in the UK. The habitats that have declined in the countryside the most are wildflower meadows. By simply providing a sunny area with lots of flowers in spring and summer, you can do a massive amount to help wildlife and still have a lovely garden. Top basic tips for every wildlife garden 1. Lots of flowers in summer and spring Sounds simple and is. Provides pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies. In a garden setting, many cottage garden plants are good. Avoid new hybrid plants and cultivars with double flowers. If it looks a bit artificial avoid it. Choose plants flowering between April-Sept. Winter flowering is not
very beneficial and wastes space for the broader biodiversity. 2. Native shrubs or berry bushes
Plant some scrubby edges with natives such as guelder rose, hawthorn, damson etc. But others such as cotoneaster or pyracantha can be good for gardens. Try to avoid winter flowering or non-flowering evergreens. Orchard trees are good if you have the space. 3. Pond Even a very small pond makes a big difference. 4. Leave some dead stems and seed heads over-winter The tidy-minded might not like this one but leave cutting back dead stems and seed heads etc until Feb-March as much as possible. This will give more opportunities for seed feeding birds and overwintering bugs. 5. Veg. bed Growing your own food is an excellent way of reducing your carbon footprint and living healthily. Some organic growing can be good for wildlife as it helps by reducing wildlife unfriendly food production somewhere else. 6. Meadows or wildflower lawns Flower-rich grassland is excellent for a wild garden; meadows can be a good lowmaintenance feature in larger gardens or
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as flowery lawns for the small garden. Don’t cut between May-August. Wildflowers grown as plug plants (see floralocale website for suppliers) work best in gardens, seed is unreliable. Wild lawns can be a good feature; basically, cut less frequently in May-June than a normal lawn.
Hopefully in the future we can provide further articles to explain more detailed ideas about wild gardening and if you come to the Sanctuary or look on our website we have further info and ideas.
Sunny summer flower border • Foeniculum vulgare fennel • Leucanthemum × superbum Shasta daisy – open-centred flower forms • Linaria purpurea purple toadflax • Echium vulgare viper’s bugloss
7. Compost corner
• Echinacea purpurea coneflower
Preferably compost your cuttings and garden waste as much as you can in the garden. This also allows invertebrates in dead stems etc a chance to recolonise and can also be a good place for hibernating wildlife.
• Lathyrus latifolius perennial sweet pea • Verbena bonariensis pretty verbena • Oenothera biennis evening primrose
8. Don’t buy peat Most compost in garden centres has some peat even when they are displayed in green bags, say “organic” or have pictures of fluffy bunnies. Always read the ingredients on the bag even if recommended by garden centre staff! Peat bogs are important habitats for wildlife and store more greenhouse gases than the rainforests but are still being destroyed in the UK and Ireland. There are lots of alternatives to peat; also use your compost corner. 9. Un-cut area Setting aside a scrubby bramble bed which you only cut every couple of years is really nice to have for a bigger garden. This is ideal for hedgehogs, breeding birds and badgers etc. Although if you have lots of nice scrubby hedges or waste ground in the local area, this might not be needed and it may be better to provide lots of flowers.
Meadow flowers • Lotus corniculatus bird’s foot trefoil • Trifolium pratense red clover • Succisa pratensis devil’s bit scabious • Geranium pratense meadow cranesbill Top wildflowers for a wild garden (a short list): Woodland edge semi shade • Columbine • Ajuga common bugle
• Centaurea scabiosa greater knapweed • Leucanthemum vulgare ox-eye daisy • Lythrum salicaria native plant – purple loosestrife
• Muscari armeniacum Armenian grape hyacinth
See www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/ Sustainable-gardening/Plants-forpollinators for suggestions
• Lamium album white deadnettle
Also kernowecology.co.uk/gardening
• Primula vulgaris native plant – primrose
Suppliers of native wildflowers should be sourced via www.floralocale.org
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Say it with Pictures at the Luke Berman mmit Kilimanjaro su Milkshake Monkey with young supporters, Leah and Isaac
of Dan Peacock, Director Milkshake Monkey
Street collection Banana and Monkey Pablo gets high up in the trees at the Sanctuary
Big Monkey Mile Newsletter No. 35
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