A day in the life of

A day in the life

~ OF A ~ VERVET MONKEY keeper

Caring for a troop of Vervet Monkeys is all in a day’s work for Werribee Open Range Zoo Keeper Kieralie.

WORDS Alegria Alano

“I ’d always wanted to work with primates,” says keeper Kieralie. After studying a Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation, her passion for primates took her overseas to do volunteer work with Orangutans. When she returned, she completed a certificate in Wildlife and Exhibited Animal Care that led to work in an animal sanctuary, then worked as a volunteer with primates and ungulates at Taronga Zoo. Eventually she landed her current role as a keeper in the team of 14 who take care of the African River Trail at Werribee Open Range Zoo.

The troop

Vervet Monkeys live in groups called troops that are matriarchal (led by a female). Their social hierarchies can dictate who might get more food and grooming – which happens with the Werribee Open Range Zoo troop. “Our dominant female monkey, KayGee, is currently ‘overgroomed’,” says Kieralie. “As she is at the top of the hierarchy, all of the other monkeys tend to spend a little bit of time grooming her, resulting in a couple of bald patches.”

Using the habitat

The troop lives in a single habitat that is separated into the exhibit that members and visitors can see and a back-of-house space. “Their backof-house area has multiple pens that allow us to separate them into smaller groups, which is really helpful for us to get a good, close look at individuals in the morning. This also allows us to work with individuals for training, ensuring other monkeys don’t try to sneak up and steal treats we are giving as reinforcers,” says Kieralie. The exhibit has an island covered in long grass, mulch, tall trees and shelters that allow the monkeys to climb and find resting places to look out over the Zoo.

Morning set-up

In the morning, the monkeys are called into the back so that keepers can clean the exhibit area and put food in among the mulch and grass for foraging. Mornings are also when the monkeys will do training that helps with healthcare and enrichment. “By training the monkeys to move to a target stick, for example, we can see the monkeys up close and look at how they are moving around to check them for any injuries,” says Kieralie. “Training gets the monkeys to think about what they might have to do to get delicious food. This helps them to use their minds and do a bit of problem-solving.”

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Afternoon stroll

After the morning session, the monkeys are free to wander the exhibit. The keepers will return to ‘scatter feed’ where food is thrown into the exhibit. Each monkey will eat about 500–700g of food daily, which can be a mix of vegetables, fruit, cereals and sometimes cooked food like eggs. “This time is also used to do observations of the monkeys, to see how they are moving around, using the exhibit and interacting with each other,” says Kieralie. The keepers will also clean the back-of-house area so that the monkeys can wander around all sections at night. Baby Vervet Monkeys spend the first week of their life clinging to their mother’s stomach. Once they’re three weeks old, they begin to move around by themselves and play with other young monkeys.

Hanging about

Spending time with the troop means Kieralie has got to know the monkeys’ different traits. There’s Kipili, who loves to show off the spots on his feet by sitting with them in the air, and Funky (with funky sideburns), who loves food. But Kieralie’s favourite is the oldest and fastest monkey, Rhet, who she is currently training. “He used to be a monkey that wouldn’t want to come near the keepers,” she says. “It has been wonderful to watch him build up his confidence and trust.” ZN

SWING INTO THE ZOO

Visit the Vervet Monkeys at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Click here to book your free Zoo Member tickets