Rose tinted glasses

Monday evening started well. David arrived back from a weekend trip to the Palm Society in Caracas. The Rose Wine he offered me just before dinner was delicious. So much so that I helped myself to a few glasses. In this slightly rosy state, I heard a crash from just outside the living room door. Mañiña had left his enclosure early and was raiding the refrigerator in the kitchen. When I arrived, his guilty face was covered in ‘Toddy'. There was a broken cream pot on the floor. MonaLisa and Rosita were liberally spreading its contents. They had joined Mañiña in the kitchen raid.
I have a small fridge in my quarters. This is MonaLisa's favorite target. Its door is stiff but she has no difficulty in opening it. My fears were confirmed. She had attacked the fridge in the bedroom before moving on to the kitchen. The door was open and two packets of powdered potato were spread around the room. Whilst I was occupied in limiting the bedroom damage, Mañiña attacked a carton of red wine on the kitchen table. Fortunately, I was able to salvage most of it. The question I suppose is why do they do it? They are not hungry, but they do have a taste for foods that are 'forbidden'.
Schatov in the meantime, acting very superior and above this kind of thing, looked on from his comfortable cushion in front of the television.
Later in the evening, Nancy was introduced to this gang of thieves for the first time. MonaLisa predictably fell in love with her. I feared that she might reject Rosita in favor of Nancy but so far that has not happened. At bedtime, Mañiña slept quite happily alongside Nancy. I think that Schatov is going to be her best friend. They spend a lot of time together and the unhappy noises from Nancy are noticeably less. As for Rosita, we still do not know but her reaction seemed quite favorable.
As for Nancy herself, she is still missing her mother. Howlers have a universal language, and she is saying Wah oh. Which being roughly translated means 'Mother where are you?'. Bonding to a human will take more than a few weeks and I expect a lot of Wah Oh over the next days.

Shuffle the pack

I have been asked why we do not put together a pack from our animals and release them as a family into the wild. This is my wish. But there are constrains and I have here, briefly put my reasoning for our policy.

In various places on my blog I have explained why I do not release howler monkeys that we have in our care to the wild. There is no possibility that we will ever release our monkeys as a pack.

In desperation (my death or incapacity to continue the work), they could be released in special groups, although this would be a dangerous procedure, possibly resulting in the transfer of diseases that they have acquired during their association with humans to the children in the wild. The effect of simple diseases such as flu or the common cold can have far-reaching effect on monkeys. These diseases are known to involve the brain in monkeys.

More serious from the human point of view is that the viruses will evolve and at some point come back as a retro virus. This is the most dangerous aspect of release. We think of Aid’s, Mad Cow disease, Chicken flu as a short list of the current problems evolving from retrovirus from the wild.

I continuously scan the literature for a report of a vaccine that could obviate this problem. From personal experience, I know that even the most scrupulous, professional examination of a sick animal is still unable to detect all possible dangerous infections. I do not wish to elaborate more here, on this subject but if you need to know, please ask me.

It would be my dearest wish to see my children free in the forest where they belong. My puny effort at providing a near normal life for them palls against the possibility of real freedom. They are part of a grander design that is faulted without them.



From a purely practical point of view, we have to consider the patricidal characteristics of Howler society. I have recently blogged about patricide

Given the opportunity.

Totto would kill Mañiña, Schatov, and Marco.

Sussy would kill Emma and Schatov. Some time ago she attacked both of them resulting in the loss of a finger in the case of Emma and a very swollen hand in the case of Schatov.

Sophie would kill Rosita, Nancy and Schatov.

The attack that resulted in Imanol’s fracture was caused by Totto and Sophie attacking him through the cage.

If unsuccessful in killing the target, it would result in the intended victim fleeing.

We have experienced fleeing many times. Many of the animals that fled years ago now have families in the wild near our compound. I visit them quite often.

This is the reason why we carefully select companions for our Howlers and keep them in separate enclosures, they are not all compatible. They are not like Capuchins who are much more tolerant in their groups.

I suppose that I should come clean and say that I personally oppose release into the wild of any species. I know that ARFA would not agree with me about that but they are aware of my views.

Nancy with the smiling face

Today we welcome Nancy to our family. Left, you see her sitting comfortably in her newly adopted blanket. She already loves it. On the right, she is sitting with Schatov who is behaving like a big brother, showing her around the house. Nancy comes to us from a family in Valencia. She has visited the Vet for a check up and she is in good health. She is about 4 months old. Certainly, it is too early to leave her mother. But what is too early? This poor little mite, has been torn from her mother and now lives with strangers. Her mother? You can guess. When will this terrible trade stop?
There is competition for her friendship, MonaLisa has already shown an interest and Schatov has been very friendly and given her a good welcome. It is early days and as usual, I will keep you informed on her progress. For many of our readers, English is not their first language. This is the reason I try to say many things with pictures. I hope it works for you.

A mixed bag

A slightly mixed bag for you today. Firstly, we went to visit our friend Gabriela in Manrique and got this photograph of Ronny, one of her two Howler ladies. I have met Ronnie many times but she has never allowed me to take a good photograph of her. This time she ate out of my hand and then posed for this photograph, it quite made my day.
Back at Canaote, Schatov (left), Rosita and MonaLisa, try their hand at solving the National Housing Problem. This little house was donated by Abu, a very lovely Capuchin lady, who stayed with us a short while on her way to release into the wild.

Trees, leaves and the fruit of the forest

There are minor differences in the way we treat our Howlers. It depends partly on the circumstances of their lives before coming to Canaote and partly on their disposition. If a monkey has had a very domestic life, we try to provide at least some of the elements of that life, here. Without exception, all the Howlers have access to trees and sunshine and are provided with leaves and fresh forest foods. They all have their 'own space'.
The more domesticated ones like Schatov, Mañiña, MonaLisa and Rosita are allowed free run of our house in the afternoon and evening. This can cause some complications at mealtime but it's all fun and we enjoy the interaction.
Our pictures were taken yesterday and show Schatov and Mañiña in their morning enclosure. They are good pals and play together for a good part of the day.

For Imanol

Only the skin and bone of earthly clad lies here.
Imanol free spirit, lives in the canopy above.
There! Out of the corner of your eye
You see a small monkey make a giant leap
from the highest to the lowest bough.
Yes it’s Imanol. His final great escape. Free at last.

I celebrate his young life.

I have delayed this posting because I could not decide what to say or even if I would report it at all.
On Thursday, we took Imanol, a young very healthy Howler monkey to a well known clinic in Valencia. I have previously reported that he had a severe leg fracture. He underwent over an hour of surgery, at the end of which the surgeons told me that the operation had been a success. They return to the operating theater. Shortly afterwards they told me that at the very end he had died of an adverse reaction to the anesthetic.
At a time like this, we all examine our consciences to see whether we were to blame.

The person who recommended this firm of veterinarians is blaming herself.
This is unproductive and useless thing to do. I examine my own actions. Example. If I did not permit, Luis Angel to feed Totto and Sophie, then I would have seen Imanol approaching their house and prevented him. It does not help to know why or how he died. He is dead and we cannot bring him back.
The blame starts when he was stolen from the forest. We are not to blame. We truly did everything in our power to help Imanol.

I celebrate his young life. I marvel at his love and his great faith in me. He was a gift from God, he changed my life whilst he was here. I organized my day around his needs and he was my constant companion.

He filled my life so much that now there is a great emptiness. I still expect him to steal my shaving cream and to grab my toothbrush. I expect to feel him sitting of my left foot as I walk around the farm. That emptiness I am sure will soon be filled. The Lord moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform.
I shall never forget Imanol. He was loved by everyone who met him.

Emergency at Canaote

Yesterday was a low day here at Canaote. I have written about the inexplicably violent behavior of some female Howlers. I have also written about Imanol’s ability to escape from any enclosure. You remember we finally decided to let him run free in a limited way. Yesterday these two items came together and became prophetic. Imanol wandered close to the Totto, Sophie enclosure and began to climb. He is a very happy carefree and unsuspicious person. He little thought that Sophie had been watching him and was ready to pounce. Totto joined in, pulling Imanol further into the enclosure whilst Sophie bit Imanol’s tail deeply. Seeing this frightening sight, Luis Angel rushed to the aid of Imanol and dragged him away from the wire. Unfortunately, Imanol clung tenaciously to the fence. The result was a clean fracture of Imanol’s left leg. No one is to blame. Luis Angel was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I have seen the rage of female howlers and I support Luis in what he did. He had no other choice. We spent most of yesterday getting X-ray’s and visiting Veterinarians. Finally, we were able to set up an appointment for surgery early today. This has to be done quickly as delay could cause further complications. Our gruesome picture today is of the x-ray taken yesterday. He is in good spirits. In spite of all efforts to make him sit still and rest, he is as active as ever.I promised to give you the ups and the downs of their lives. This was one of the downs.

The singer not the song.

It has been said that my blog is very anthropomorphic and that I tend to treat the monkeys as if they are human children. This is not my particular intention although it does seen to come out that way. Possibly because their behavior is in many ways, similar. But there is an underlying message. I hope you are not missing it. These animals belong in the forest with their families. They are a part of a bigger design, which is flawed without them. It is wrong to take them from their habitat and to keep them in houses and cages. Once they have had contact with humans, they cannot be returned to the forest. The reasoning behind this is elsewhere on this blog. The message? Leave these proud animals in the forest where they can live full lives and come to the ultimate completion by having children
I have written about both of our featured personalities recently. Sussy and Totto. No, they don’t know each other and I have no idea how they would react if they met. Sussy is crazy about pancakes soaked in lemon juice and so am I. You see her here indulging in her favorite snack. Totto has shown himself to be a gentleman where the ladies are concerned. For example he always lets his wife, Sophie eat first, and stands between her and any visitor to their house. I really like this picture of him. It shows how handsome he is. He is a big monkey as you can see. His coat is shiny and evenly colored and he is in perfect health.

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A penny for your thoughts

Emotion amongst animals is supposed to indicate a higher level of cranial activity. I am certain that Howler monkeys display emotion. Cognizance of time, past and future is another area that we can explore.

Sussy, Sophie and Emma display very strong emotions. All three of these females have attacked other howlers with great viciousness and purpose. These were not ‘go away’, attacks, meant to warn off the other party. These were attacks, which could have led to the death or bad disfigurement of the animal attacked.
Sussy attacked the very young Emma, when we expected her to take Emma under her wing and mother her. At that time, Sussy was going through an emotional crisis of her own. The little Marco, that she had fostered and carried around on her back for so long, was now fully-grown and sexually active. He spent much of his day teasing Sussy to the point where he would make her cry. Finally, we had to separate them for periods of the day. Was this the cause of her antagonism to the new arrival? Did she think that the little female was a rival?

We thought that Sophie might make a companion for Emma. This was before Schatov’s arrival. She reacted exactly as Sussy had but this time we were on our guard and prevented the attack from developing.

In recent days, Emma has developed a dislike for Mañiña. This is in spite of the fact that Mañiña is a much larger animal. Is this a case of the abused abusing as with humans? I have asked that question before. This is a complex jigsaw. Why would she adore Schatov and hate Mañiña? She is also fond of Imanol. Both Schatov and Imanol are very young and small in comparison with Mañiña. Could she be protecting her, yet unthought-of offspring?
Infanticide is the major cause of infant mortality in red howler monkeys. Mothers try to protect their infants from invading males, but with only a 25 percent success rate.
Fierce sexual competition often exists between male howler monkeys; members of a bachelor troop will fight with a male in charge of a female troop in an attempt to take over. Males are expelled from their natal groups upon reaching sexual maturity, and must invade an outside troop to gain admittance. Once a male successfully enters a new group, he kills all infants present, thus insuring all offspring belong to him. Some years ago, before we decided on using enclosures, our monkeys ranged free in the canopy around the compound. The dominant Howler at that time pursued a smaller male and badly injured him. On another occasion, the same dominant male killed a very small baby in our group.
Since we adopted the enclosures, we have been able to select the occupants to ensure that they are compatible.
These are strong primitive drives that we see working here. But what is not clear, is why females adopt aggressive roles.
Sophie watches obsessively for a chance to attack Imanol. She even watches shadows under her door to see if he might be on the outside.
Time is a philosophic entity, and one would not expect a Howler to appreciate time. Every day I mix the monkey’s milk shake and everyday Imanol and MonaLisa try to help themselves to the mix but before the shake is ready. Every day I tell them to wait but in vain. The concept of ‘ready in one minute’ is not understood.
Persistence of an idea can be demonstrated. Some months ago, Rosita was involved in an incident with Mañiña. She was playing on the ropes at the top of his enclosure and being very small she was able to exit through the wire on the roof, into a very tall tree. Luis Angel, seeing the danger of the little one getting lost in the big tree, rapidly caught hold of her and pulled her back into the enclosure. She squawked and Mañiña grabbed her by the tale and bit her quite hard. This was just his knee jerk reaction to the situation, he did not intend to hurt her and in fact, they are now very good friends. However, Rosita identified Luis Angel as the cause of her problem and since then she cries out every time he is anywhere near her.

MonaLisa, her hope.

MonaLisa has adopted Rosita. Or perhaps it is the other way around because Rosita will now not allow MonaLisa out of her sight for even a moment. This reflects the tragedy of taking a wild animal out of the forest and introducing her to human care. MonaLisa has no interest in male Howlers. She did not have her own mother to guide her and teach her the way of the forest. She does not recognize male howlers as sexual partners. She does not see them, as a route to what we know is her fervent hope. She desperately wants to be a mother but does not know how. Rosita is the second young howler that she has adopted. She also fostered Sophie. In the time before Rosita’s arrival, MonaLisa attached herself to every young human she could find, giving the tongue signal. Female howlers are always the most active in setting up a relationship, by moving the tongue in and out. If they get an appropriate response, they continue with a relationship, if not the female moves on to another prospect. When I observed her courting with young humans, it brought me to tears. We have tried hard to introduce her to male howlers but so far in vain.
In our pictures today, you see how pretty Rosita loves her food and how rapidly she is growing. The second picture shows her seated on MonaLisa’s back. This is her position for most of the day.

The old rocking chair.

Sussy is not a youngster. In fact, she is sixteen years old, intelligent, athletic and friendly. She has been a mother to several powerful males, and foster mother to Marco.
Sussy waits patiently for mealtimes. She has an excellent appetite. There is always a great welcome for visitors. Sitting in the sun is her morning occupation, until mid morning snacks. Siesta is at about midday for a couple of hours. Afterwards she will get on her rope rocking chair for the rest of the afternoon, watching the farm go by. Sussy is content. I sit with her during breakfast; she loves to hear me sing, as she gets comfortable on my lap. So what song does she really like? 'All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small'. At Seven thirty in the morning, why don't you sing it with us? (link at the bottom). This is when I get my second wash of the morning. Her human mother visits her at least once a month and has done during the whole three years that she has been with us. I don’t have any favorites but if I did..

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/l/allthing.htm