Eli the howler monkey was nearly blind

Surgery restores monkey's vision

April 28th, 2008 @ 4:47pm

A blind monkey at Hogle Zoo that was led around his cage and to and from his food by his mother can see again!

Eli, a Howler monkey, has not been on exhibit today. He's resting comfortably in private quarters while his eyes recover from surgery.

Holly Braithwaite, spokeswoman for Hogle Zoo, said, "Eli, for the most part, was completely blind. He did have cataracts in both eyes, and he's about a 10-year-old monkey - almost 11, and it's been that way for some time since he was quite small.


Eli was brought to a specialty clinic in Cottonwood Heights. Eye Care for Animals deals only in eye disorders involving dogs and cats and now, monkeys.

He went under general anesthesia. Dr. Nicole MacLaren, who is trained in animal ophthalmology, performed the surgery, which is not unlike that which is done in humans. The only difference? Eli suffers from a vitamin D deficiency and had developed cataracts when he was about six to 12 months old. "This made the lens capsule very, very tough and hard to open up to get access to the cataract," MacLaren said.


Unlike a traditional replacement lens that is used when cataracts are removed from dogs and cats, Eli's required some special measurements; that's why human ophthalmologist Darcy Wolsey, from Salt Lake Eye Associates, was brought in. "This animal is more like a human eye, so I did some measurements to see what power of lens to put inside the eye."

Two hours later, Eli's cataracts were gone, replaced with two new acrylic lenses, and he was on his way back to the zoo.

MacLaren said, "Even though he's in a zoo, he's a wild animal, and so in a human who would be getting four or five different drops per day, we're only able to get them to medicate Eli once or twice a day."

Hogle Zoo is getting ready to introduce a new mate into Eli's enclosure. That's why they thought it was a good idea to give him his sight back again.

We call it 'Canaote Magic'.

Two weeks ago you saw Erik arrive (top center picture)and one week ago Chilin came to live with us. You saw them on their first day here. Chilin looked particularly sad. But here today, you see him having a great time on the ropes. No unhappy thoughts now, he is just too busy. Erik too has settled down and is enjoying Chilin's companionship. For a large part of the day they are together in the special enclosure we have made for them.
Early morning is the time I move Schatov,Lucio and Monito into Lucio's Garden. They all climb aboard my shoulders for the short journey to the garden. Erik makes the journey with them because he is already installed on my shoulder. He takes the opportunity to get to know the others. He snuggles against Schatov, who has taken a liking to him. I have a feeling that he will become Erik's big brother.
Chilin has a liking for the girls. His enclosure adjoins the garden of MonaLisa, Emma and Nancy. He spends a lot of time displaying his athletic abilities to them.
These two little boys have settled in quickly. It is magical to see the trasformation that takes place in our newcomers as they learn to live with creatures of their own kind.

Chilin is a great name for a monkey.

Chilin came to live with us yesterday, Saturday the 19th of April 2008. Yes you are right, he does look sad in this picture. It was taken within hours of arriving here and like any small child he was confused and maybe a little alarmed. He is probably six months old. During the evening and the following day, he settled down quickly. One thing we noticed immediately, he has a voracious appetite. He is the second young monkey to come to us in the last fortnight.
Very young monkeys take a great deal of extra care. They need 24 hour attention. You can't put them in an enclosure with other monkeys. There is no guarantee that they would not be attacked. Finding a group in which they will be compatible is a sensitive job and has to be undertaken with care. There is no question yet of allowing them to share with others as they are both still being fed with a bottle. The logistics of separating them at feeding time are just too complicated. We have prepared an enclosure for Chilin and Eric, where they can interact and play for short but monitored periods. For two days now they have used this facility with success. They are always pleased to be brought back into our house for more human company. The call on our services seems to be growing. We have news of another adult male who may be brought here next weekend. We have also been asked about accommodating two adult Capuchins. Lord have mercy, your servant is hard pressed.

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.

A big happy birthday Maniña.

‘Well it is pause for thought isn’t it? I mean four years old. I am positively over the top. Like I am an old man. Yeah! Over the hill. Can you imagine that?’

He is hansom. He is the largest monkey we have at Canaote. He came to us 2 years ago from his family in Aragua. He was two years old when he came to us. He is still in their thoughts and we have frequent correspondence with them. The important thing is that they still care. He is charming and loved by us all, monkeys and humans alike. He is gentle. This afternoon he was introduced to little Erik who is only 3 months old. Erik responded to him and realized that he had found a friend. Some of the smaller monkeys were a little jealous at this first meeting but Maniña pushed them to one side and put his arm around Erik. They will meet again soon. In the meantime. A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANIÑA.
Our picture taken this evening is of course our birthday boy.

Maniña at home.

I suppose no morning’s photo shoot would be complete without pictures of Maniña. He really does pose for the camera. Having sat on my shoulder, (he is very heavy). Pulled my hair and given me a big smacker straight on the lips, he settled down to posing for these pictures. Maniña is the biggest of our male monkeys and he is the leader of the group with Eslabon, Tutti and Miss Billy.

Who blinks first?

I often compare the behavior of my gang to their brothers and sisters in the wild. When I see Moñito take a flying leap into the middle of a brightly colored hammock filled with plastic balls, throwing the balls everywhere in the enclosure. When he is closely followed by Lucio and then Schatov and the last of the balls scatters across the ground. I wonder what if any is the wild monkey equivalent. Well of course there is no direct similarity because monkeys in semi captivity learn a whole new group of skills. But just the same, play is practice for life situations. The competition of the game with hammock and balls is the important feature. Who jumps the furthest, who causes the most disruption or even the most noise. The facing off and the threatening calls are also part of this practice for life situations. Our picture shows Schatov on the right and Lucio on the left. They are playing ‘who blinks first’. This is a game that Howlers never tire of. They will yell at each other and even make a tentative poke but never actually get into conflict.

Erik or little by little.

Sunday was a busy day here at Cañaote. First Virginia came with her family. They started out from Caracas at four in the morning. They brought Erik with them. Erik is very young, and we don't have very much information about him. I am guessing that he is about 3 months old. You see him here in a photograph, clinging to the back of David's head. This is a very typical stance. Then later in the morning Graciela arrived with her family. They were visiting Lucio and the other children of course. The two groups got to know each other and shared their joy with the children. Lucio was in fine form, giving vivid displays of his gymnastics and Schatov kept pace with equal vigor. Colored balls were being fired in every direction. Moñito was at first overcome with all this action but soon got into the swing of things.

Graciela brought us a large metal cage. It has been beautifully and professionally made by a craftsman. This was transported all the way from Caracas in their second vehicle. We will use this as quarantine for children when they first arrive. The visitors toured around all the enclosures and the children were excited to meet them.

A local family joined the group, and it was a pleasure to introduce them to our monkeys. But, all too soon, it was time for everyone to return to Caracas.

Erik is quietly settling down. Naturally, he cries quite a lot but that is to be expected. He is difficult to feed and very choosy. He need a lot of special attention and that means 24 hours a day. Just like any baby he needs feeding every four hours. David has volunteered to be his mother during this period.

Our Kids.

Ok, our Kids but not quite. Left is Moñito and right is Tutti, seen polishing off some spaghetti, Tutti Italiano. But who is that below? I can’t rightly tell you yet. These are our three youngest children.
We received a call earlier in the week. Some good people in Caracas want to bring this little fellow to us for care. As far as we know, he has no name. He is scheduled to arrive about mid day tomorrow. We have been asking around for a name. Gabriela suggested a few but said whatever it should be a short one. We are thinking of calling him Erik, if he really doesn’t have a name. Look at the difference in the color of the coats. Young ones tend to be much lighter in color and get darker as they grow older. ‘Erik’ has a very light, fine coat, rather like Sussy. I think he will retain a lighter coat. But more news as it comes. We look forward to him arriving and meeting his donors.

Fraught!

I will not hide from you that we have had a couple of fraught days. (Full of or accompanied by problems, dangers, or difficulties).
Yesterday, we had a visit from a large group of Capuchin monkeys, wild ones from the forest. Their interest was of course, Pancho. They surrounded his enclosure for most of the day. Finally two of the most adult of the raiding party had enough courage to descend onto Pancho’s enclosure. Pancho, unaware of their evil intention, rose to the top of his domain to greet the visitors. He was immediately attacked by them and sustained a wounded tail. It was my unpleasant job to chase them off after this assault. We quickly treated Pancho’s wounds and an examination today revealed that all is well; the bites have healed up well with no sign of infection.
Today, I became aware of two wild Howler monkeys, in a tree above the enclosures of Schatov, Lucio and Moñito. This is a tall mango tree that also straddles the home of the Maniña family, Eslabon, Miss Billy and Tutti. Needless to say there has been considerable agitation, and much calling and pacing up and down as they glance upwards at the intruders. My presence did not at first calm the disquieted children. But later the visitors realized there was no profit in remaining, decided to move on.

With both groups of invaders, I am sure that we have not heard the last. This is the mango season, a fruit that all monkeys love and we have about 500 trees. This is a good reason for them to visit. But again this is a good time to look for a mate when food in the forest is plentiful.
I have just a couple of comments. Through all this, Maniña, swung backward and forwards in his hammock, totally unperturbed by the activity around him. What a cool guy.
I have photographs of the action but of insufficient quality to publish. Please excuse.

Butter would not melt in his mouth.

Last Sunday Moñito had a family visit. Carlo and Patricia who rescued him from a building site again came to see him. They were here just a few weeks ago also. In the meantime we discovered that they had been married. Naturally everyone at Cañaote was thrilled and wished them happiness. But talking of happiness, one had to include Moñito, Lucio and Schatov, who all share Garden Lucio, in that wish. The kids were clearly pleased to see their friends and played hard all morning.

What a wonderful day we had. The children were so active and obviously pleased to have the visit. I think we all had a lot of fun. David and I were pleased to have the opportunity to congratulate them both on their marriage that was really great news. Moñito was definitely thrilled to have company, and I am certain that he remembered both of them. Lucio and Schatov were in good form; they are such good friend and good for each other because they exercise well and learn during their play.

Carlos and Patricia left us some wine. We enjoyed a bottle of the wine that night and sent a toast of good wishes to them for their future together. It means a lot to us to have their friendship and the care that they show to Moñito and the other children.
We have two pictures of Moñito. One showing him in the thick of the fray and the other a portrait where he is looking as though butter would not melt in his mouth.

Happiness is bun shaped.

I know I have said it before but it is always the first time for me. Every time I see Marco I am amazed because he is always so much larger. I can scarcely believe that this is the little boy who lived at Canaote with us. Marco, who used to sit on my shoulder and sleep on my pillow. Marco, who grew to young adulthood in the care of that wonderful mother Sussy. Marco, who was only a mere handful weighing in at 500g when he arrived here. Gabriela has just taken these wonderful photographs of him. But that is not all. Marco went to live with Vicky in Manrique, the home of Gabriela. I have told you already that it was love at first sight. Vicky and Marco adore each other. Now look at that photograph of Vicky again. She has an expression of sheer bliss and her eyes are closed. You notice the extended stomach and the breasts? I do believe that this young lady is expecting an event. More news on that as it comes.

'Pyow-pyow': how the putty-nosed monkey tells its friends there's a leopard coming

Putty-nosed monkeys combine signals in a limited repertoire to convey complex messages. But see below, Howlers are also great talkers.


A troop of monkeys in west Africa has been found to use different combinations of calls to convey different meanings in what is believed to be one of the first experimental demonstrations of rudimentary language ability in wild animals.
The putty-nosed monkeys living in Nigeria were already known to use different alarm calls to warn each other about the presence of predators, but now scientists have found that their linguistic ability goes a step further.
Male putty-nosed monkeys are able to combine different types of alarm calls to indicate their identity, what they have seen and whether they intend to flee – and all of this information is recognised by other members of the troop, a study has found.
Klaus Zuberbühler, of St Andrew's University, said his research into wild putty-nosed monkeys demonstrated that their linguistic ability shows intriguing similarities with human speech, in that they can combine sounds to convey various meanings. "In linguistics, 'morphemes' are usually defined as the smallest meaningful units in the grammar of a language. Our research revealed some interesting parallels in the vocal behaviour of forest monkeys and this feature of human language," he said.
The monkeys have two basic alarm calls – "hacks" and "pyows", and they use them to warn each other about different predators – for example, a "pyow-pyow" signals a leopard. Dominant male monkeys are also able to combine "hacks" and "pyows" into a unique sequence that conveys important information, such as "I am about to travel, follow me", according to Dr Zuberbühler, who, with his colleague Kate Arnold, carried out the study published in the journal Current Biology.
The scientists proved their theory by playing audio tapes of "pyow-hack" sequences made by a dominant male and observing the reactions of other troop members. The behaviour of the monkeys followed the scientists' predictions – for instance, that they would all move in response to the signal to travel.
"What we showed is that it was this call sequence alone that was sufficient to trigger group travel," Dr Zuberbühler said. "Most primates are limited in the number of signals they can physically produce due to their lack of tongue control. The only way to escape this constraint may be to combine the few calls they have into more complex sequences.
"In other words, it may be harder for non-human primates to evolve large repertoires than to evolve the ability to combine signals. Hence, the evolution of combinatorial signaling may not be driven by too many signals, but rather by too few."
The ability to combine different sounds or vocalization was believed to be an important step in the evolution of human language. According to this theory, at some point it became more economical to combine existing elements of communication, rather than adding new ones, because the repertoire was already too large.
But, Dr Zuberbühler said: "Our research shows these assumptions may not be correct. Putty-nosed monkeys have very small vocal repertoires, but nevertheless we observe meaningful combinatorial signalling."

* The study of the putty-nosed monkey was carried out in the Gashaka Gumti National Park in Nigeria.
* Naturalists observed the animals using two distinct alarm calls – "pyow" and "hack" – in non-random sequences.
* Further studies revealed that the monkeys were using different combinations of calls to express various specific meanings.
* These include: hack-hack-hack-hack: "There's an eagle over there!"
* Pyow-hack-hack-pyow-pyow-pyow: "I've seen a leopard, let's move away!"
* Hack-hack-hack-pyow-hack-hack-hack-hack-hack "There's an eagle over there, let's move away!"

Yes Howlers do talk and do communicate vocally.


I first noticed the ability to vocalize needs in Howler monkeys, many years ago. We notice that when a monkey had been separated from its parents it suffered great grief for several weeks. This was demonstrated by pacing up and down in its enclosure and repeating the same sounds over and over again. The sound approximated to (what oh) with the ‘oh’ drawn out for at least two seconds. Following that we notice a sound indicating pleasure, especially when a desired food was presented, although it can accompany any pleasurable experience like being with a friend (human or monkey) or place that makes them feel happy. A repeated whoop whoop whoop sound indicates danger and displeasure, this is not necessarily a message to the troop it can be just an indication of displeasure. Remember that Howlers have a special extension to their hypoid bone. In their case it is very large and allows a great noise that can carry for up to 3 km. This also means that the sounds that they make are fairly deep throated. The thing which I have found most extraordinary is that this language is universal. We have monkeys here in our facility that come from all over but the language is just the same. They have many expressions and they do have the ability to produce quite a range of different sounds. I would really like to find a research student with the interested to analyze their language. I do not have formal linguistic analytic ability but I would love someone to do this work. Yes Howlers do talk and do communicate vocally.

Sophie is mending well.

Sophie suffered a bad patch in her health after having freed herself into the wild forest. I have reported on this previously. Just when she started to recover from the parasites and the dehydration that she incurred, she contracted a new health problem. A week ago I noticed an area on her right foot where the skin was broken. I thought little about this, thinking that maybe she had torn her foot on the bamboo walkway. The next day a observed blood on that foot and damage to one of her toes. Clearly this was something more serious. We took samples to examine under the microscope but we were unable to detect any pathogenic activity. This was not a fungal or bacterial infection. We decided that it was a self infected wound in response to the irritation of a broken skin. We treated her with oral antibiotics and topical iodine spray. This has been effective and the condition has been limited and we are simply waiting for nature to complete the healing. She was avoiding placing that foot on the walkway but now she is walking normally again.
She is almost back to her old self. Gabriela contributed a brilliantly colored hammock and Gilda; Lucio’s family brought a large bag of colored plastic balls and rings. Sophie is happily playing with this fun setup and is much more active. Naturally she has been sad and lonely since Totto freed himself into the wild but we are hoping that someday soon we can find a new companion for her.
Our photograph is Sophie. Her appetite is good. She is feeding well and putting on weight again.

We don't all look alike. Do we?

Well of course that's Maniña top center and Schatov bottom right. But I bet I didn't have to tell you that because you recognized them. Their faces are very individual but nevertheless there are people who don't seem to tell them apart. Maybe they are the same people who think that all Chinese look alike. Maniña is slightly older and slightly heavier. But they are the two largest Howlers that we have here. Make the facial comparison yourself and comment what difference you find. There are things true of both. They are both in great condition. They both have great beards. They are both very hansom. They are both personality plus. What more can I say.

An exciting afternoon.

Lots of pictures this evening. What beautiful hands Schatov has! Howlers are not known for great dexterity with their hands but Schatov makes up for this with very long and elegant fingers. But that is not all because he uses them with unhowlerlike ability. Given a piece of chicken, he will hold it in both hands, turn it and select the best parts to eat first. He has learned skills that wild monkeys do not have. You see him here in the photograph, resting only momentarily in the hammock before throwing himself back into the fray.
Lucio has been very mischievous today. And you can read the mischief in his face in our picture. First grabbing my hat and making off to the other side of the enclosure with it and then returning, without it, to pull my hair. Finally I had to chase him around the hammock to get my hat back. He deposited it under a pile of balls in the hammock, hoping I suppose that I would not see it.

Moñito has been equally active. When the melee started he joined in and regardless of his small size, was in there with the big boys.
All together it was an exciting afternoon with hats and balls flying. I finally retired exhausted. They looked triumphant.

A hammock full of balls

I really was not going to write about Maniña today but seeing this recent photograph of him posing in the hammock alongside the plastic colored balls, reminded me that I hadn't mentioned this new addition to the games we have provided in the enclosures. Howler monkeys are slow moving people when in their natural environment in the forest. They are known to sleep the greater part of the day and the rest of it spent slowly munching leaves. But when in semi captivity they exhibit different behavior. Their food here is much more concentrated and available so less time is needed for obtaining food. They are much more active and seek opportunity for play. The ropes and walkways we provide are very much in use and the children display athleticism which is virtually unknown in the wild. Most games appear to be preparation for fight or flight. The pseudo war and aggressive noises we see and hear are all with that purpose. Recently the family of Lucio provided colored plastic balls and had the idea of placing them inside a hammock. Howler's have extremely sensitive color vision so the balls have been very attractive to them. This has proved to be a very successful game. The children love to launch themselves into a hammock full of balls then jump up and down until all the balls have fallen to the ground. Great fun for the monkeys but dismay for the poor helper that has to enter the enclosure many times a day to replace the balls. This has been such a successful play that we have installed hammocks and balls in all the enclosures and they love it.

To err is human, to forgive divine.

Our photographs today show Eslabon on the bamboo walkway and Tutti in the hammock.

Eslabon is a very gentle and loving monkey. He is second in the hierarchy of which Maniña is the chief, Eslabon being much smaller and younger. He loves to sit with me and demands my attention when ever I enter their garden. He has been ‘big brother’ to Tutti who needed someone to care for him and a friend to sleep alongside at night. Eslabon and Tutti are great friends and Eslabon really does look out for him.
When Tutti first came to us, he was suffering from a vicious mite attack which affected his tail and his forehead. To the observer he looked like a Gregorian monk. We treated this condition with a suitable shampoo and his hair was rapidly restored. In recent weeks we have noticed a thinning of hair on his scalp but not the same pattern as before. To treat this, we first needed to identify the cause. I had to take a sample of hair from Tutti's head. This involved applying a piece of sellotape or sticky transparent tape to his head to obtain a sample that is capable of being examined under the microscope. This process is momentarily uncomfortable and naturally Tutti was agitated and cried out. At that moment Eslabon was on my shoulder. He was angered by my apparent attack on his friend and made to bite my ear. I quickly pushed Eslabon to one side to avoid the bite. In the process Eslabon left my shoulder in a slightly undignified way. He was furious. This all happened several weeks ago. Since that time, Eslabon's attitude to me has been very different. No longer would he seek my company when I entered the enclosure. I could see that there was some conflict. He wanted to be with me because I could hear him saying so but his pride would not let him approach me. Gradually, as the weeks have gone by he has come back to me. I am not sure that he has forgotten, but I have been forgiven. He is again ‘Daddies Boy' and sits with me for long periods. As for Tutti, the infection has cleared up and there is now some strong new hair.

All people commit sins and make mistakes. God forgives them, and people are acting in a godlike (divine) way when they forgive. This saying is from “An Essay on Criticism,” by Alexander Pope.

In the forest, danger lurks.

From the last posting, it is clear that danger lurks in the forest and that wild life can be a reservoir of diseases. Here in Venezuela, Yellow Fever is endemic among wild monkeys. Outbreaks of the disease sometimes explodes in the forest. Sometimes it is not clear what has caused the mortalities. This rainy season there were many deaths, strangely among large healthy looking Howler monkeys but clinical investigations failed to identify the cause. This could be just the old Yellow Fever with a modified strain or Dengue Fever. Perhaps a completely new assault is brewing in the forest. However, it is not only virus which is a danger. Many types of pathogenic parasite grow in water and in the soil. These are a danger to humans and monkeys. The whole range of zoonotic diseases exists in the forest.
Our facility borders on fairly deep forest. We are ever conscious of our closeness to nature and the possible dangers that lurk there.
Recently, we installed a sophisticated digital microscope system and equipped it with all the stains and samples to enable us to identify protozoa/ parasite infestation. We obtained the equipment from the 2K microscope manufacturing company in Germany. They also supplied us with a collection of sample parasite slides, to enable us to identify parasites.

We reported that Sophie returned to us from the forest as a sick child. Even though when she escaped into the forest, she had been in good health. Using the microscope, we were readily able to identify cysts of giardia lamblia, a parasite which is pathogenic and the probable cause of her sickness. Under veterinary guidance we were able, at once to commence treatment. The first results are in and Sophie is indicating very strong signs of recovery.
The danger of zoonotic disease cannot be overstated. Capturing wild monkeys and birds from the forest is not only immoral and wrong but also dangerous. Bringing an animal who may be a carrier of disease into a human environment is cavalier in the extreme, with the health of the individual concerned and their family. From there the disease can spread into the general population. The message is plain; leave these children where they belong, in the forest.

What we all knew now science confirms it

A detailed map highlighting the world's hotspots for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) has been released.
It uses data spanning 65 years and shows the majority of these new diseases come from wildlife.
Scientists say conservation efforts that reduce conflicts between humans and animals could play a key role in limiting future outbreaks.
Writing in Nature, they said their map revealed that global anti-EID resources had been poorly allocated in the past.
Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and the US-based University of Georgia and Columbia University's Earth Institute analysed 335 emerging diseases from 1940 to 2004.
They then used computer models to see if the outbreaks correlated with human population density or changes, latitude, rainfall or wildlife biodiversity.
Finally, the data was plotted on to maps to reveal the "hotspots" around the globe.
Healthy environment
"Our analysis highlights the critical importance of conservation work," said co-author Dr Kate Jones, a research fellow for ZSL.
"Conserving areas rich in biodiversity from development may be an important means of preventing the emergence of new diseases."
The researchers found that 60% of EID events were caused by "non-human animal" sources.
They add that 71% of these outbreaks were "caused by pathogens with a wildlife source".

If we continue to ignore this important preventative measure, then human populations will continue to be at risk from pandemic diseases

Dr Peter Daszak,
Wildlife Trust
Among the examples listed by the team was the emergence of Nipah virus in Malaysia and the Sars outbreak in China.
Others included the H5N1 strain of bird flu, Ebola and West Nile virus.
The number of events that originated from wild animals had increased significantly over time, they warned.
"This supports the suggestion that zoonotic EIDs represents an increasing and very significant threat to global health," the paper's authors wrote.
They added that it also highlighted the need to understand the factors that lead to increased contact between wildlife and humans.
"We are crowding wildlife into ever smaller areas, and human population is increasing," explained Dr Marc Levy, a global change expert at Columbia University's Earth Institute.
"Where those two things meet, that is the recipe for something crossing over."
He added that the main sources were mammals that were most closely related to humans.
'Missing the point'
While some pathogens may be picked up while hunting or by accident, others - such as Nipah virus - are transmitted to humans from wild animals via livestock.
Because humans had not evolved resistance to these EIDS, the scientists said that the results could be "extraordinarily lethal".
The main hotspots were located in low latitude regions, like South Asia and South-East Asia, which were not the financial focus of global funds to prevent the spread of EIDs.

Bats 'likely source of Sars'

"The world's public health resources are misallocated," opined co-author Peter Daszak, executive director of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine at the US-based Wildlife Trust.
"Most are focused on richer countries that can afford surveillance, but most of the hotspots are in developing countries.
"If you look at the high-impact diseases of the future, we're missing the point."
However, Dr Dazak said that the maps were the first to offer a prediction of where the next new disease could emerge.
His colleague, Dr John Gittleman from the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology, described the data-set as a "seminal moment in how we study emerging diseases".
"Our study has shown that bringing ecological sciences and public health together can advance the field in a dramatic ways," he observed.
The researchers said that the priority should be to set up "smart surveillance" measures in the hotspots identified on the map.

The prodigal daughter returns.

Stop press photograph. Taken this morning in Sophie's garden.(Monday 18th February 2008).
I have already posted that on the first of February, Sophie was able to free herself into the wild forest, as a result of a large tree falling on her wire enclosure. We believed that this was a mixed blessing. We were sad that she had left us but glad that she should join her family in the wild.
Sophie was handed in to us four years ago as a tiny little girl. She lived here with Sussy until adulthood and then as a wife to Totto who finally released himself into the wild last November.
On the twelfth of this month, Sophie was spotted in a tall mango tree by the gatehouse to the farm. She was slow moving and showed little intention of coming down. Dennis, one of our occasional helpers, decided to climb the tree and investigate. He found that she was considerably debilitated and dehydrated. He carefully brought her down, when we were able to take a closer look.
Sophie had been in the peak of good health when she left after the storm. Now she was very sick. We presumed dehydration and at once started a program of treatment with physiological fluids. During this time she refused food. Over the next few days she has gradually started to respond and now is taking food and drink fairly normally. We are still waiting for the result of tests to determine whether there is any other underlying problem.
She is active and appears quite strong but lacks the teasing and mischievous manner that is usual with her. Clearly she still has some way to go before we can say she is healed. Her birthday was on the fourteenth, strange that she should return two days before her birthday.
One aspect of this situation worries me. Even though we have always fed her with substantial amounts of food from the forest, leaves, flowers nuts and berries etc, she has been unable to feed herself satisfactorily when free in the forest. This underlines yet again the tragedy of separating monkeys from their proper environment. They become unable to support themselves in what should be their natural habitat.

A book at bedtime

Lucio,Schatov and Moñito spend their day in Garden Lucio, There they have bamboo walkways, ropes and ladders and a hammock full of colored plastic balls. After a full and energetic day they are tired. At about five in the evening they return to our house for the night. They have not yet asked to stay in Casa Lucio overnight. Schatov sleeps in his own enclosure adjoining my quarters (he often pops in for a cuddle at bedtime). I know you will like this photograph, taken this evening. Moñito has just yawned after a full day playing in the sun. Lucio has just thrown out the cushion. Moñito will cuddle up against Lucio for the night. A few moments after this picture was taken, they were fast asleep. They are above the bookshelf in David's room. I call this picture, ‘a book at bedtime'. No wonder that they are so intelligent with so many books to read.

Crash, bang, wallop.

Last Friday we suffered a storm here at Cañaote with winds gusting at 25 miles per hour. Our metal roofs were bent back and then slammed forward with a noise like a rifle shot. The trees surrounding our compound swayed dangerously and many heavy boughs came crashing down. The following morning we discovered that one particular tree had thrown its bough across Sophie’s enclosure. There it left a gaping hole. Sophie was not in the enclosure. Instead she was in the trees above it. Firstly, she made her way to our house and then quickly to the enclosures of MonaLisa. She stayed near the house for the rest of the day. Towards evening she traveled across the farm to a tall Mammon tree where she stayed through the night. Next morning we went to encourage her to return to her house but she decided to go further into the forest. Sophie has been free before but always returned, by herself to her enclosure. This time she has not returned.
Sophie is in fine condition. She is muscular, with a beautiful shiny coat. She is in excellent health.
For those of you who have never visited our facility, you should know that it is situated in a heavily forested valley, alongside a small mountain. This is a natural habitat for Howler and Capuchin monkeys. There are hundreds of monkeys in the trees near this location.
Sophie will now seek a group to join. She will have no difficulty in finding a suitable family. We have long accustomed her to feeding on forest leaves and flowers. She will have no difficulty in finding food.
This is good news and bad. I am happy that she will go to find her own people. She was a local rescue and came from this area. I am sad that she is no longer with us. I have known her since she was a small 500 gram baby.

Maniña's friends are mainly monkeys.

Maniña is by far the largest monkey we have at Cañaote. People often discuss whether or not howler monkeys adopt habits or characteristics of their human friends. Maniña came to us from a very loving family and he is highly domesticated. I am told that he went out to meals in quality restaurants. He lived in a house not a cage with his human family and was treated as a member of the family. He is house trained with never a mistake. He will quite suddenly and without warning deliver a kiss smack on the lips. He loves to roll over and invites you to rub his tummy. This is unusual, howler generally do not like their underside to be touched. He likes to hold hands. Whilst some monkeys avoid human contact, Miss Billy for example, he actively seeks you out. He is never happier than when he is sitting on your shoulder. These are all learned activities. This of course makes him very pleasant to be with. He is a charming young monkey.

Maniña is very athletic and runs wild over the walkways in the enclosure. He is also great rope climber. He is in the peek of good health; His coat has a fine sheen. He has made the transition from little boy to young adult monkey very well. He plays hard every day with his friends who are mostly monkeys

That was the week that was.

Lucio, Schatov and Moñito continue to play in the 'Garden Lucio' during the day. The colored balls in the in the hammock have become a focus of the days play, Daniel, one of our occasional helpers, needs to put the balls back in the hammock several times a day. They get scattered everywhere during the vigorous play. Our picture shows Lucio on the edge of the hammock just waiting to pounce. This enclosure is well equipped with toys. In addition to the many bamboo walkways there are ladders, hoops and ropes to climb. Howlers love to play and hate boredom. You will remember that Lucio’s garden also has a very fine house. All these boys gather there around mid day for the afternoon rest. Breakfast is served at seven and the afternoon meal at twelve. Dinner is at four o’clock. Just before time for these children to come into our house for the night. Some one asked the other day, ‘why don’t they sleep in their beautiful house at night?’ They will when they want to. At present the garden and the house are very new to them. At some point they will regard this as home and will not want to be moved to our house in the evening. They will let me know when that time has arrived. In the meantime I have the pleasure of their company.

Dealing with grief

The first few days of a monkeys residence here at Canaote is always a sensitive time. The monkey is always confused and frightened. Often this is the first time that they will have seen another monkey apart from their mother. They associate the experience with loss. In addition they have lost humans who in most cases have been loving and supportive.
Inevitability the monkey experiences grief. This is often demonstrated by passing up and down on one path in any enclosure. The vocal sounds at this time are typical and do not very between howler monkeys. This approximates to (wa-oh) the oh sound being drawn out. This is a fair indication that some form of universal language exist between howler monkeys. This period of grief can vary in duration from a day to a week but rarely beyond that. This of course depends on the monkey’s previous experience. Those that grieve longest are those who come from a loving and supportive human family. Time is the great healer. We never leave a monkey to his misery. During this period he will have constant love and attention. It must be said that the human donor most often suffers more grief than the child. This grieving can be for an extended period, sometimes amounting to many months. This sense of loss is very real. We are very aware of the trauma of parting and we try to minimize the experience. Firstly we consider the monkey. If the monkey comes from a home where he has been in constant contact with a human, we try to duplicate that relationship. Often the monkey will be in the company of someone here twenty four hours a day and in particular at night. It is not unusual to find someone with a monkey on their shoulders as they go about the day’s chores. Clearly this is not a permanent arrangement and a suitable solution has to be found. Where possible we introduce the monkey to compatible companions. This selection has to be carefully done. Howlers have their likes and dislikes when it comes to choosing friends. A short period of trial and error is sometimes needed.
For the human state we offer this blog, which is updated several times a week. We encourage unlimited visiting and we are always available on the telephone and online with facilities like Windows Messenger, e-mail and Google talk. For those who are very sad we sometimes introduce other former owners to each other. This has been a great aid to getting through the grief. We somewhat lightly call this ‘Simian Samaritans’.
For this evenings photograph we have Moñito, who has only been with us since the weekend. Already he is spending part of his day with two other boys, although he is with me overnight. You see him here doing justice to a piece of Lechosa (Papaya). He never stops eating if given the chance. I have the impression that he wants to be a big monkey by tomorrow afternoon.

The news breaks. Moñito arrives.

It was breaking news because it all happened so quickly. A few days ago, I received mail from Schatov’s family in Caracas. A friend had found a young Howler on a building site. They were not exactly sure, at that time of his age or sex. What they did know was that he was very young, small and weak. He wore a harness, so he had either been abandoned or was a run away. The friend, who found him, of course fell in love with him and gave him a name. His name is Moñito. They decided that he would have a better future if he could live with other monkeys and on Saturday morning the 19th January 2008, they brought him to Cañaote. Something strange happens when people come in contact with young Howlers. They fall in love with them and can scarcely bare to part with them. We have seen so many people in tears when it came time to part with a monkey. I can identify with those who come under their spell. I did myself, many years ago. Graciela and Erika, the family of Schatov, accompanied Carlos and Patricia who found Moñito. They spent many hours here to be sure that Moñito settled down with the other monkeys. These were fun hours because Moñito at once began to interact with Schatov and Lucio. Although Moñito is small he is no ones push over. They had some great games that morning. My immediate plan is that he will spend the late evenings in the house with Me, Lucio and Schatov but will spend his days in the outside enclosure, ‘Lucio’s Garden’. He needs exercise and sunshine and he will certainly get it here.

Stop Press. Hold the front page.

News story about to break. Keep in touch.

Miss Billy loves the sun.

Miss Billy was five and a half years old when she came to us. She was called Billy until I told the former ‘owner’ that he was a girl. She had been kept in a very small cage. Ignored and completely and devoid of love and affection. Additionally she had very severe rickets, caused principally by inappropriate diet. Her spine and arms and legs were all curved and brittle. We have treated her rickets with calcium and sunshine. She now shares a large enclosure with five other monkeys. She is presently the only female in that group. Her rickets has improved and her general health. She is by no means completely cured but she has made great strides. She does not allow her infirmities to affect her enjoyment. She climbs ropes and uses the bamboo walkways to the full. She still very withdrawn and untrusting but we are getting there.

Eslabon Daddy's boy

Eslabon is a charming fellow and he is one and a half years old. When we needed a sympathetic big brother for little Tutti, we chose Eslabon. He has been the perfect friend for Tutti. Some months ago when we opened the big new enclosure, we needed someone to sleep with Tutti, he could not sleep there alone. Eslabon and Tutti cuddled up together at night for warmth and company. Somewhat later we introduced Miss Billy to the family. She is very introspective but nevertheless she joins in the bedtime cuddle. Recently Maniña joined the group.

Whenever I enter their garden, Eslabon immediately jumps on my lap and stays there for as long as I let him. He is a real softy. He wants affection. I know he would like to come over to the house with me but that way he will never grow into a monkey.

Eslabon arrived here in August last year. His family brought him, that all. It would be nice if they called occasionally, because he is a very special person.

Schatov and Lucio are good pals.

Schatov is two and a half years old and he is fun. During the last year he has grown and now sports a credible beard. In spite of a lot of macho behavior he succeeds in being a delightful monkey to be with. When he macho gnaws your hand it is with gentleness, never breaking the skin. He is very athletic and quick moving. He has developed powerful muscles in both his arms and legs. Even though he is now a big monkey he still loves being picked up and given a cuddle.
Lucio has a house and new enclosure but Lucio does not like being there alone. We wanted to find a friend to share this garden with during the day. It had to be a monkey with a friendly disposition and we at once thought of Schatov.
He has been sharing the Lucio enclosure during the day for a week now. The pair of them fight together for hours at a time. But no one gets hurt. It is just a great game. But come late afternoon Schatov is asking to return to his own enclosure. Lala is waiting for him. What Lala wants Lala gets or something like that.

Sorry no update

We are sorry that there has been no new Forget me not since the beginning of the year. We understand that Movestar have been upgrading their facilities and thus we have had no service. The service has now been restored and we have a post for you ready for later today.

All things bright and beautiful.

We enter another new year. Here at Cañaote we are ever aware of our responsibility to care for God’s children. This is the reason for our endeavors. We try to serve him through our work with the monkeys in our care. We often think of Saint Francis who recognized that all creatures were made by God and that they have a place reserved here on earth and in the life to come. We give praise to God and thank him for the help and wisdom given to us by his servant Saint Francis.

I love the Hymn, ‘All things bright and beautiful’. I often sing it when I am with the children. Here are the words. You can find the music on the net.

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
each little bird that sings,
he made their glowing colors,
he made their tiny wings. Refrain

The purple-headed mountain,
the river running by,
the sunset, and the morning
that brightens up the sky. Refrain

The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden,
he made them every one. Refrain

He gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well. Refrain

Lucio's new house arrives.

You will have read about the family of Lucio building a house for him. I published a suggested construction for the house. There have to be certain basic requirements like the ability to withstand heavy rainstorms and provide shelter against the sun. The construction also has to take into account the vigorous activity of insects in this area so close to the forest. You will see from our photograph that the house has been built to a very high standard. (Way beyond my specification). Its two floors and two doors make it eminently practical for monkey habitation, they love it. It is also a very pretty house with a garden scene pained on the sides. Lucio and Maniña have already had great games around it, chasing each other through the doorways and up and down the staircase, yes it has a stair case. A human child, being given this house would think that they had a very superior dolls house. We thank Lucio's family for this wonderful gift and even more for the trouble of transporting it to us from Caracas.

Marco our birthday boy

Well I almost missed telling you about our birthday boy. Marco de Pooh Pooh to give him his full title, is four years old today. On a day some four years ago, a small red bundle of fur, no larger than my fist, was brought to Canaote. He had been found alone in the forest and was brought to us by the boys who had found him.
We often think about him at Christmas not only because he first came to us in this season but because he did not come from a human home. Nearly all of our children have been brought to us from human families. Marco is the exception. For this reason he reminded me of the Nat King Cole song, 'The little boy that Santa Claus forgot'. No one every enquired after him. No loving human called to see how he was getting on in his new home.
But our story has a happy ending. Sussy adopted him and treated him like her own son and for three years she nurtured him. Ultimately he became too boisterous for the old lady and we had to separate them. He was now a big adult monkey.

We had news that Gabriela's female, Vicky was looking for a husband and we decided that we would let them meet. Marco went on a visit to Vicky and the magic happened. They fell in love. They are now totally inseparable. The little boy that Santa forgot has made a success of his life. He now lives, free in the trees with a beautiful lady howler.
Marco is at Manrique with Vicky and Gabriela, his human family so we could not be together today but here at Canaote we opened a bottle of bubbly and raised our glasses to him. Happy birthday Marco. We really did.

LA HISTORIA DE PANCHO

English readers, don't panic, there is a translation below this article in English. All blame for the translation is mine.(Philip)

The story of Pancho is written by Gabriela de Olivieri and relates the true story of her experience in rescuing a capuchin monkey.


El pasado día Martes 12 de Diciembre, a las 3.30 de la tarde, venia de regreso a mi casa en Manrique, cuando a lo lejos en la carretera vi a un vehiculo estacionado al lado derecho, habían tres personas un adultos y dos jóvenes, y uno de ellos llevaba algo en las manos, baje la velocidad y le comente a mi esposo que me acompañaba, “Seguro van a botar un perro”, pero cual fue mi sorpresa, no era un perro, era un mono capuchino, como lo llevaban agarrado por debajo de los brazos y el cuerpo y las piernas totalmente colgando, pensé que estaba muerto, inmediatamente me detuve y me baje del carro y les pregunte ¿Ese mono esta muerto?, y el joven me respondió no esta vivo, lo que pasa es que esta dormido porque lo sedamos para poderlo traer hasta aquí.
Y yo les pregunte muy molesta, ¿Y que pensaban hacer?
Y ellos respondieron: Dejarlo aquí en la orilla de la carretera para cuando despierte se vaya al monte, y viva libre.
Yo me enfurecí mas todavía de lo que estaba, y les dije que eso que estaban haciendo era una muerte segura para el mono, que el toda su vida había vivido con humanos, y que el no sabia como conseguir su alimento, ni que hojas podía comer, y que lo más seguro era que algún animal lo atacara, o peor aun que fuera atropellado por un carro al intentar cruzar la carretera.
Ellos se quedaron callados y apenados, y luego contestaron que ellos no habían pensado en eso.
También me dijeron que lo estaba haciendo porque el mono había mordido a un niño. Esa es la historia de siempre, cuando las personas adquieren un animal silvestre, tienen que pensar que el va a crecer y que por su naturaleza silvestre va a morder algún día a alguien, eso es lo normal.
Decidí en ese momento que lo llevaría a mi casa, no podía permitir que lo abandonaran en ese sitio, les pedí que me acompañaran a mi casa, ya que no podía llevar al mono sin ningún tipo de jaula, dentro del carro, porque se podía despertar.
Ellos así lo hicieron, y llevamos al mono en mi carro, y el padre de ellos fue en su vehiculo detrás de mío.
En mi casa yo tengo una jaula grande del tamaño de una habitación, preparada para monos, con cuerdas y maderas para que ellos caminen, una mesa para que los monos coman, una cesta con una almohada dentro, para que estén cómodos, y una silla donde me siento a observarlos y hacerles cariños.
Cuando llegamos lo colocamos sobre la pequeña cama, acostado de lado.
Yo les pregunte, que sedante le habían suministrado, y me contestaron que no sabían, que ellos lo habían comprado en una tienda de animales.
El hecho es que la medicina fue muy fuerte, porque el mono despertó cerca de las 10.30 de la noche, yo le suministre agua y cambur, y me dio mucha gracia porque el todavía estaba aturdido por la medicación y abrazo el cambur y se quedo dormido de nuevo.
Lo deje descansar y estaba segura que al otro día estaría totalmente restablecido, y así fue, cuando lo visite en la mañana, estaba muy activo corriendo por todas partes, pero más que todo porque uno de mis monos araguatos, Marco, estaba asustándolo, Marco es muy grande y fuerte y le hacia como que lo iba a atacar, lo cual no es posible, porque la jaula tiene un segundo enrejado a 60 cms., del original, para evitar que puedan morderle los dedos a los monos que estén dentro de la jaula.
En ese momento pensé en entregarle este mono a mi amigo Philip, ya que el tiene todos los monos en jaulas grandes y no habría problemas con otros monos.
Mis monos araguatos son adultos, y no aceptan a otro mono, Marco es muy celoso al igual que su esposa Vicky, y siempre hay problemas cuando llega un nuevo mono, porque mi política es no tener a ningún animal encerrado, ellos tienen que vivir libres, correr, saltar y comer las hojas que le gusten.
Ese mismo día converse con Philip del mono Capuchino Pancho, y el estuvo de acuerdo en recibirlo en su casa.
Por lo que el día Jueves siguiente lo lleve a su nuevo hogar, donde estoy segura que el va a tener una mejor vida, que la que tenía anteriormente, donde lo tenia con una cadena amarrado a su cintura.
Esta es la historia de Pancho, de cómo se salvo de una muerte a corto plazo, espero que Dios, siga poniendo en mi camino a esos seres indefensos, que no tiene la culpa de haber sido victimas del trafico de fauna cuando eran unos bebés.
Le recomiendo a las personas que ven a los monos bebés o a cualquier animal, que venden a orillas de las carreteras, que no los compren, porque por ese animalito que esta en venta, han muerto a lo mejor 4 ó 5 ejemplares de su misma especie, tratando de defenderlo en su cacería, entre ellos la más importante la madre de ese animalito, que prefiere dar su vida, por no entregar a su hijo.
Recuerda que tu casa, no es su casa, déjalos vivir en libertad…..

Gabriela de Olivieri

The story of Pancho. By Gabriela de Olivieri

On December 12, at 3.30 in the afternoon, I was returning to my home in Manrique, when in the distance, on the road, I saw a vehicle parked on the right side. There were three people, an adult and two youths, and one of them had something in his hands. I slowed down and commented to my husband. “They are throwing away a dog", but to my surprise it was not a dog, but a cute cappuccino monkey. They held it under the arms, the body and the legs hung completely loose. I thought t it was dead, I stopped, and got out of the car and asked them if the monkey was dead. The youth responded that it was alive and that it was sleeping because it had been sedated to bring it here. I was very bothered by this and I asked them what they planed to do. They responded: To leave it here on the bank of the highway and then when it wakes up it will go to the mountain, and live free.
I became furious at this, and told them that they were condemning it to a certain death because this monkey had lived all its life with humans, and now did not know how to get its food, nor could it eat leaves. It was certain that some wild animal would attack it, or worse even, that it would be run over by a car when trying to cross the highway.
They were quiet and sorry, and then they answered that they had not thought of that.
They also told me they were doing this because the monkey had bitten a boy. That is always the story. When people acquire a wild animal, they have to consider that it will grow and that by reason of their wild nature it will bite somebody someday, that is usual.
I decided at that moment that I would take it to my house, I could not allow them to abandon him there, I asked them to accompany me since I could not take the monkey in my car without a cage, because it could wake up.
They did this, and they drove monkey back to my house in their car.
I have a big cage the size of a room, prepared for monkeys, with ropes and walkways so that they walk and play also a table where they can eat. There is also a basket with a pillow inside so that they are comfortable, and a seat where I can sit down and watch them and give them affection. This cage is for emergency use only, normally my animals are free in the trees.
When we arrived, we put him on a small bed.
I ask them what sedative they had given him, and they answered that they didn't know that they had bought it in a store.
The fact is that the medicine was very strong, because the monkey woke up near 10.30 at night, I gave him water and a banana, but he was still stunned by the medication and hugged the banana and slept again.
I allowed him to rest and I was sure that on the following day he would be completely well, and that is what happened. When I visited him in the morning, he was very active; running everywhere, but there was a reason. One of my cute araguatos (howler monkey), Marco, was scaring him, Marco is very big and strong and male, and he made as if to attack the capuchin. This was not possible because the cage is doubled and has a second layer of wire to prevent biting through to the monkeys that are inside the cage.
At that moment I thought of giving this monkey to my friend Philip, since he has all the monkeys in big cages and there would not be problems with other monkeys.
My cute araguatos are mature, and they don't accept other monkeys. In particular Marco, the boy, is very jealous of his wife Vicky, and there are always problems when a new monkey arrives because my policy is not to have any animal contained in cages, they have to live free, to run, to jump and to eat the leaves that they like.
That same day I spoke with Philip about the cute Capuchin, and he agreed to receive it in his house.
On the following day, Thursday I took him to his new home, where I am sure that he will have a better life than he had previously, where he had a chain tied to his waist.
This is Pancho's story, of how he was saved from certain death. I pray that God continues putting in my path those defenseless beings so that they can continue to live their natural lives. I recommend people that see the cute babies or any animals that are sold beside the highways not to buy them, because for that animal that is on sale, there have died 4 or 5 others of their same species perhaps, trying to defend it against the hunters. Among them the most important, the mother of that animal who prefers to give her life, to stop them taking her son.
Please remember that your house, is not their house, allow them to live in freedom...

Gabriela de Olivieri

Who is Pancho?

Probably, no one was more surprised to end up as a resident of Cañaote than Pancho. Excuse the pun, but thereby hangs a tail. As regular readers of this blog recognize, Cañaote is dedicated to the shelter of Howler monkeys and by no stretch of the imagination is Pancho a howler. He was rescued from the side of the road near Manrique by Gabriela. Gabriela has promised an account of his rescue. But briefly, she caught people trying to abandon him. He had been heavily sedated. The careless cruelty of these people is nothing short of criminal. One day I hope they get their just reward. More on this story as it comes in.

When kids grow up.

Do you know what it feels like to be a parent when it comes time to let your kids go off on their own to boarding school? Or when your eldest says, ‘I think it is time I moved out’.

I feel a bit like that this week. You remember that Maniña had a quarrel with Lala and it was necessary to separate him from Lala and Schatov? I couldn’t leave him alone in that enclosure so every evening around supper time I invite him into the house. He has been sharing my quarters with Miss Billy. Early morning I have been transporting them both to the big enclosure occupied by Eslabon and Tutti. It’s a big place with plenty to do. There are lots of bamboo walkways, swings and ropes and the company of other monkeys. For the first few weeks I continued to collect Miss Billy and Maniña in the evening, bringing them back to my quarters for the night.

This week, they have both refused to be collected. Preferring the company of other monkeys to the human environment I offer in the evening. It's a pleasure to see the pair of them playing with the others and sunning themselves the way Howlers love to do.

I have been surprised by this. In particular, Maniña is a daddy’s boy and loves to sleep in my quarters. Suddenly he has grown up and moved away from home.

Those of you who have never had the opportunity to observe Howler monkey’s sleeping arrangements should know that they like to sleep in a big group for maximum comfort and warmth.
Lucio is now the sole occupant of my quarters at night time. His house and garden are almost complete. Certainly it will be ready for him by this weekend. Our plan is that he will occupy the garden during the day and come in during the night. Until he tells us that he wants to leave home. We have yet to decide who his companions will be. Sophie has shown and interest and MonaLisa has put in her bid.
I almost forgot to tell you that is Maniña in the photograph but of course you knew that.

A new house in a new way

Something different is happening at Cañaote. We provide large enclosures for our children. We try as far as possible to make these locations as natural and forestlike as possible. We always include live trees and we supply fresh leaves and flowers from the forest every day. The enclosure has to cope with a variety of climatic conditions. So each location has at least one house although several of our gardens have more than one. These houses must cope with heavy rain in the wet season and sometimes strong winds. For the whole year the temperature rises quite sharply after midday, so the residence must be capable of providing shade. This is also necessary in the dry season. We achieve this by building an insulated box with two doors; monkeys always like to have a backdoor for escape. Then above this an open area or under roof level which is simply covered by a roof, allowing air to flow freely but still providing shelter from either the sun or the rain. Building these houses is a routine that we have whenever we make a new location.
What is new this time is that Lucio’s human family has made a significant contribution enabling us to build a rather special location for him. There will be pictures of this as soon as it is complete. The work is going ahead very fast and we are expecting it to be complete this week. Another unusual feature is that they have also volunteered to construct the house. This is the first time that a family has been actually involved in the construction of an enclosure by making or building something. Formerly families have made financial contributions but never actually hands on.

Our picture today is the first working diagram of the house. It will be interesting to compare it with the final result as it evolves.

A place in the Sun

Pictures to follow

We have eleven monkeys in our care. All of them from human homes, in various places in Venezuela. Most are from the jungles of Caracas although many come from Valencia and one from Aragua. All of them appear to be semi domesticated. MonaLisa likes to clean her teeth with cream and a toothbrush; yes she really does clean her teeth not just bite the brush. .Maniña likes to lay full length on the bed and be tickled. Eslabon adores a cuddle and sitting close. Lucio likes to shower, which is most unusual for a howler monkey. Howlers in general hate water on their coats. He also likes to hold hands. Sophie likes to cover herself with colorful materials and so on. Lala taught us that she likes to be brushed and now they all demand it. They have all adopted some facet of human behavior. It is easy to forget that they are wild animals. Fortunately there are some reminders. Early morning all of our children engage in the mighty roar. The whole house reverberates with their call. This is their statement that this is their territory, and it belongs to them. It also reminds us that they are still wild animals and are asserting their right to a place in the sun.