About Schatov.

I want to try and describe to you some of the changes that I have seen in some of our children over a period of time. It was only when I embarked upon this task that I realized how difficult it was going to be.
Schatov, when he first arrived was very small. So small that we had to construct an enclosure with especially small wire, because he could easily wriggle through the standard fence wire. He shared with Emma who was also young and small but a little bigger than Schatov. At that time we thought that this was a marriage made in heaven. They seem genuinely fond of each other. Schatov developed a lump on his nose. In our picture you can still see where it was, if you look carefully. At first we thought it was a mosquito bite. We quickly realized that it was a swelling caused by a bad tooth. Schatov was whisked away to a dentist in Valencia who specialized in dentistry for small animals. There he had a successful operation to remove the bad tooth. We were fortunate to find a man of his skills.

All was not well in the relationship with Emma. Emma was growing very fast and no longer wanted Schatov. This actually turned into antagonism and finally we had to separate them. I will talk about Emma’s changing personality in another post.

Schatov is now over two years old. He has a loud voice and is big for his age. He leads the morning chorus and his deep booming voice acts like the drum major for the others, letting them know when to start and finish. As he has grown, his personality has developed. He is always cheerful and playful but never aggressive. He is especially communicative with his facial expressions. You know when he is not pleased by the way the corners of his mouth curve downward. When he is happy he makes the howler universal happy sound.

I have an interaction with him at least twice a day. Once in the morning when I take him to share the day with Moñeto and Lucio and then again in the evening when I bring him back to the house. For this transfer he sits comfortably in my arms. His early morning task is to lead the chorus. When that is complete he waits for me, gently swinging backwards and forwards in his hammock.
He is much loved by everyone, both monkey and human. His human family are from Caracas and they visit him often. You can understand why when you meet him, he is a real charmer.