NEWS - BABY MONKEY DIES IN FALL AT ATLANTA ZOO

Baby monkey dies in fall at Zoo Atlanta

 

By Associated Press

For the AJC

A newborn golden lion tamarin at Atlanta's zoo has died.


Zoo Atlanta said the 4-day old monkey died Wednesday after an accidental fall. It was one of three infants born to 5-year-old Robin Saturday. Another infant died shortly after the birth.
Infant mortality isn't uncommon for the small monkeys, which weigh only around 2 ounces at birth and grow to be about the size of a squirrel. Even short falls can be fatal for tiny newborns, zoo officials said.
The zoo says the remaining infant appears to be doing well, officials said.
Golden lion tamarins are native to Brazil's Atlantic coastal rainforests. The wild golden lion tamarin population stood at just 250 in the mid-1980s. It now numbers more than 1,600 after a network of zoos successfully reintroduced captive-born tamarins to the wild.

NEWS - MYSTERY MONKEY FINDS HOME IN ST. PETE

Mystery monkey finds home in St. Pete

 

  Feb 11, 2012

 

St. Petersburg, Florida - Tampa Bay's mystery monkey seems to have found a home behind the house of a St. Petersburg couple. The homeowners, who do not want to be identified, feed the monkey daily and say he follows them around their house peeking in the windows from the outside.
In an email to 10 News the family says they have named the monkey Mr. Monk.
"It has been a constant progression of trust. At first he was very wary of us, and shy, and nervous. But time has passed and he has realized that we mean no harm and, in fact, welcome him to our little piece of paradise," the couple wrote.
The monkey has been roaming the Bay area for 3-years now, spotted everywhere from Hudson and Clearwater to Temple Terrace and South St. Petersburg.
The monkey's story has garnered national attention including talk on Comedy Central's Colbert Report. A song has been written about the monkey, even a fictitious Facebook page was created for the rhesus macaque.
Florida Fish and Wildlife has tried to capture the monkey in hopes that they can place him in a wildlife facility with other macaques. Officials have feared the monkey might eventually attack someone since he is outside of his normal environment.
It is believed the monkey was originally living in the Silver Spring area before he was likely chased out of his colony.
The St. Petersburg homeowners say they can get within a foot of Mr. Monk and that he will follow them on afternoon walks along their driveway.
The couple say they feed him bananas and Oreo cookies. "He eats (the Oreos) just like you do ... he takes it apart and licks the creamy center, then eats the cookie," the family wrote.
Just as they have for three years, WFC officials hope the family will stop feeding the monkey and instead call them to have Mr. Monk captured. Gary Morse, FWC spokesperson says again they are afraid the monkey will eventually attack someone.
"While we express human kindness in certain terms that humans understand, animals don't usually understand that, they simply don't have that capacity," Morse said.
Vernon Yates, founder of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation added if the monkey is not safely captured he believes the story of Mr. Monk will have a very sad ending.
"If the monkey is starting to look at people for food, as sad as it may seem it's almost to a point, just kill him now and avoid the rush because you are setting it up for a major, major problem," Yates said.

NEWS - SQUIRREL MONKEY 'BANANA SAM' BACK AT SF ZOO

Squirrel monkey Banana Sam back at SF Zoo

 

Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, January 2, 2012

Banana-Sam was resting comfortably behind the scenes at the San Francisco Zoo on Sunday, with staffers keeping close tabs on the squirrel monkey after his weekend kidnapping ordeal.
The 17-year-old primate spent New Year's Day recuperating out of the public eye after a nearly 40-hour adventure that began with his abduction late Thursday or early Friday.
The 2-pound creature was shaking, hungry and cold when police returned him to the zoo Saturday evening, but he was relatively clean and with no obvious trauma, said Danny Latham, a zoo spokesman.
"We have no idea the conditions in which he was kept," he said.
Latham said it was unclear when Banana-Sam would return to his exhibit with his 17 squirrel monkey friends.
"We hope very, very soon," he said. "I'm sure people will want to come and see him."
Banana-Sam gained worldwide fame as his abduction spread around the globe. A Twitter account that someone opened in his name, @SF_BananaSam, had more than 2,000 followers, with posts detailing his alleged exploits throughout the city.
A trip to the monkey bars in Golden Gate Park was apparently disappointing.
"I was never cut out for life on the outside," read one post following his return. "3 hots and a cot for me!"
On Sunday, police continued to investigate the case. They said a visitor to Stern Grove in the Sunset District found the monkey and coaxed him into a backpack Saturday evening.
A $5,000 reward for the monkey's safe return had not yet been paid out, Latham said.
The kidnappers apparently knew where they were going and what they were doing. They climbed on a roof to cut through netting to nab Banana-Sam, making off with the animal despite guards and security cameras.
"Regardless of how many feet or eyes you have, if someone is willing to do something, they're going to find a way to do it," Latham said.
Still, the zoo has beefed up security on the graveyard shift since the incident.
"We're just happy that it turned out the way it did," Latham said. "It's a very happy story."

NEWS - WHO AM I? BABY MONKEY BORN IN JUME HAS NO NAME YET.

Who am I, mum? Baby monkey born in June still hasn’t been named by zookeepers… because they can’t tell its sex

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

 2nd September 2011
With tiny clasped fingers and large, searching eyes, this baby monkey may have reason to look a little troubled.
Despite being born at the end of June, keepers at Edinburgh Zoo still don’t know whether it’s a male or a female.
As its gender is unknown, the orange-eye baby L’Hoest’s monkey hasn’t yet been given a name.

Animal team leader at the zoo, Lorna Hughes, said the tiny primate has proved to be a big hit with visitors.

She said the baby had been born to mum Tumbili, who was flown to the zoo from San Diego eight months ago, and dad Kizizi.
‘Every birth is special, but this one has been really exciting,’ said Lorna.
‘The baby is quite a confident little one. It comes right up to the window to have a look at visitors.

‘We’ll check to see if it is a baby boy or a baby girl when it is about three months old, once the baby has started venturing away from mum a bit more. Once we know, we’ll be able to choose a name.’
She added: ‘Tumbili is a great mum, knowing just what to do and being very caring and protective.’
Currently the baby is still dependent on mum’s milk, but in the coming few weeks she will start trying new foods and will learn how to unpeel fruit.

NEWS - RANDOM CUTE MONKEY STUFF...

Random Cute Monkey Stuff...

You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that lands in our in-box, you'd think the site name would be a clue...

Posted: 1 September 2011
by Jon

You really wouldn't believe some of the random stuff that drops into the OutdoorsMagic editorial in-box. You'd think the name and site description would give you a bit of a clue, but we get stuff ranging from the tenuously relevant in a sort of tangential way, if you look at it in a squinty manner, right through to things that don't seem to have much to do with us at all.
Like, erm, 'Christmas is coming at Past Times.  We have some wonderful Gifts for Her to inject some old-style glamour into any woman’s life.' Right. And apparently, 'It's the ideal time to book your tickets to the [Ideal Home] Show'. Just so you know. And who could forget the rock climbing themed male grooming range?
And then theres's stuff that's well, a bit more relevant, 'Primula Cheese Celebrates National Cupcake Week' for example, because, well, sometimes walkers and climbers eat Primula right? From 12-18 September if you were wondering, and there are cupcake recipes on the Primula web site.
Mostly though, this whole thing is just a thinly contrived excuse to post these pictures of the new baby L'hoest's monkey at Edinburgh Zoo. I have no idea why the guys at the Zoo sent us the press release and invite and then these photos of the little fella, but you have to admit that he or she is super cute.
And because I'm lazy and having a fuzzy sort of day, I'm going to paste the whole release for anyone who wants to know more about the new arrival. Over to you, irrelevant press release about cute monkey...

Anglo-American Monkey Business
Visitors to the monkey house at Edinburgh Zoo have been meeting the Zoo’s latest arrival, an inquisitive orange-eye baby L’hoest’s monkey.
The birth of this baby L’hoest’s monkey has special significance, as the baby’s mum, Tumbili, brought new genetics to Edinburgh from North America
Animal Team Leader Lorna Hughes said: “Every birth is special, but this one has been really exciting. Tumbili came to Edinburgh from San Diego Zoo about eight months ago, bringing new genetics with her which will strengthen biodiversity here and in zoos throughout Europe.”
Born on June 26th2011 to mum Tumbili and dad Kizizi, the baby L’hoest’s monkey has yet to be given a name but Lorna says the newest arrival is already developing a big personality.
“The baby is quite a confident little one. It comes right up to the window to have a look at visitors.
“We’ll check to see if it is a baby boy or a baby girl when it is about three months old, once the baby has started venturing away from mum a bit more. Once we know, we’ll be able to choose a name.”
While her baby appears bold and curious, Tumbili is keeping a close eye on the new arrival. Lorna said: “Tumbili is a great mum, knowing just what to do and being very caring and protective.”
Dad Kizizi was born at Edinburgh Zoo eight years ago and like most male L’hoest’s monkeys he has taken a step back and left mum to do the childcare.
At the moment Tumbili’s baby is still dependent on her mother’s milk but in the coming weeks she’ll be starting to try new foods. Lorna said: “She’ll start to learn new tastes and new skills like how to forage for food and how to unpeel fruit.”
In the wild L’hoest’s monkeys live in the tropical forests of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, spending most of their time on the forest floor. Their diet is made up mostly of fruit, leaves, mushrooms and sometimes insects and lizards. They live in social groups usually made up of one dominant male and several related females.
Deforestation and hunting means L’hoest’s monkeys are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild and they are marked as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
You can help protect the future of the L’hoest’s monkey, and support the charitable conservation work of Edinburgh Zoo, by adopting an animal, becoming a member of the Zoo or by making a donation.

NEWS - YEARS CATCH UP WITH AILING MONKEY

Years catch up with ailing monkey

PALOMA MIGONE AND LAURA WESTBROOK

26/08/2011

Charlie the rhesus monkey has already lived for nearly twice his species' normal lifespan, but now suspected heart disease has laid him low and his vet predicts he has only six months left to live.
The 42-year-old monkey, from Upper Hutt's animal shelter Helping You Help Animals (HUHA), was taken to a Massey University vet in Palmerston North yesterday after he was found pressing his head against his bedding.
HUHA founder Carolyn Press-McKenzie said she was going through "an emotional roller-coaster" as the monkey had to go under anaesthetic, which was "highly risky" at his age.
He had had a CT scan, an X-ray and a range of blood tests, and was "doing well" following the visit.
Veterinarian Baukje Lenting said the X-ray showed Charlie's heart was enlarged, which could mean he had heart disease. She hoped to do an ultrasound next week to confirm if he had the illness, and his blood tests results were also due next week.
Dr Lenting said Charlie also had an infection of the vertebrae in his spine, which would be treated with antibiotics, and possibly arthritis. The problems were due to his advanced years, as his organs were not functioning as they once would, she said.
Dr Lenting was confident Charlie would be stabilised and she would consider it a success if he lived for another six months.
Rhesus monkeys, common from Afghanistan to northern India and southern China, typically have a lifespan of about 25 years.
Ms Press-McKenzie said if Charlie was in too much pain he might have to be put down.
"I love having him in my life, but when his time has come we'll just be so proud to have known him, and so proud to have given him the freedom," she said.
Charlie came to HUHA about five years ago when the Whirling Brothers Circus closed down.
- Stuff

NEWS - NEW MONKEY SPECIES DISCOVERED IN THE AMAZON

New monkey species discovered in the Amazon

 

The discovery of a new type of titi monkey was made in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil

• Damian Carrington
• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 August 2011
•  

A monkey sporting a ginger beard and matching fiery red tail, discovered in a threatened region of the Brazilian Amazon, is believed to be a species new to science.
The primate was found in relatively untouched pockets of forest in Mato Grosso, the region that has been worst-affected by illegal deforestation and land conflicts. Julio Dalponte, the scientist who made the discovery, said it showed the extraordinary biodiversity of the area and the vital importance of conservation.
The expedition, backed by conservation group WWF, also found probable new fish and plant species, all of which are now being studied. "We have taken an important step towards gaining better knowledge of the fauna in the western Mato Grosso region, which is still a puzzle with many pieces missing," said Dalponte.
The new animal is a type of titi monkey, many of which have startling facial hair. As a group, they have only recently become known to scientists, with 25 of the 28 species discovered since 1963. Finding new species of monkey is still relatively rare, with only about one a year found internationally.
The expedition scientists observed 47 already known mammal species, including jaguar, anteaters and armadilloes, as well as hundreds of different birds and fish.
This week, a separate study found that the total number of species inhabiting the planet is about 8.7 million, of which 90% are as yet undiscovered. Most of the land animals yet to be identified are insects but scientists say that finds of large new animal species, such as the new titi monkey, illustrate our limited our knowledge of the planet's biodiversity.
The activities of humans, such as the destruction of habitat, are driving tens of thousands of species to extinction each year, a rate comparable with the great mass extinctions that have occured in the Earth's distant past. .

08/24/2011

New baby patas monkey born at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo

 

By: Web Staff

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A second patas monkey has been born at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Zoo officials say the baby was born to parents Addie and M.J. around 11:30 a.m. on August 23. Another female monkey, D.J., was born on January 7.
"A new baby monkey is great news," said County Executive Joanie Mahoney. "The Rosamond Gifford Zoo really stands out and it's because of the great team we have. The county is excited to welcome another patas monkey."
At this point, we don’t know if the baby is a boy or a girl. Since zoo protocol is to maintain a “hands-off” approach with primate babies, it could be several weeks before they find out its sex. Once we do find that out, the zoo will host a naming contest. Members of the community will be able to help choose a name for the new patas monkey.

Haven Appeal For Monkey Mate

Wednesday, August 24th 2011 14:59
A lonely monkey on the Isle of Wight could have a chance of happiness with a new mate if it's keepers can raise enough money to get the pair together.

Martin, a white throated capuchin at the the Owl and Haven, sadly lost his brother Owen last year and has been on his own since.

A zoo in France has offered Martin a new female companion called Lulu who's been rejected by her own group. All that separates the pair is the English Channel and the estimated £33,000 it will cost to transport and rehouse her.

Animal keeper Harvey Broadhurst says the company would be invaluable to Martin. "He gets lonely, he's always been with his brother for 15 years of his life, he's about 16 now and it's taken it's toll on him. We try our best to give him things to do, we're always on our toes around Martin and we couldn't provide even the tiniest bit of enrichment that a mate would."

"Lulu's been rejected by her group, so she's in the same kind of position as Martin where I imagine she's quite lonely. The Zoo have said we can have her, but we will to collect her. The problem is she needs a 6 month quarantine period if she's coming into the UK."

The Owl & Monkey Haven are appealing for donations to help them build a new quarantine approved enclosure for Lulu.

Report by Emily Wells

NEWS - SEARCH ENDS IN GWINNETT FOR MISSING RESEARCH MONKEY

Search ends in Gwinnett for missing research monkey

By David Ibata

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The search in Gwinnett County for a missing research monkey is over.

Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center announced it has ended efforts to locate the animal. Known only as “EP13,” the 2-year-old rhesus macaque was discovered missing on June 15.
“Despite extensive efforts by Yerkes staff, we have not been able to locate this research animal,” Dr. Stuart Zola, director of Yerkes, said in a prepared statement issued last week.
“Efforts included searching the Yerkes property numerous times, conducting multiple census counts of the research animals and working with Gwinnett County Animal Control to follow up on 26 reported ‘sightings’ in the metro Atlanta area,” Zola said.
Zola said he has directed Yerkes staff to continue taking steps to prevent any such future occurrences, including using microchip technology to better track the animals and increasing security and video surveillance at the center.
The center will also pursue any recommendations regulatory authorities may make, he said. Earlier this summer, Yerkes officials met with representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to discuss steps they had taken in the search.
With the search ended, “we are focusing on our research operations at the center and doing things to ensure this would not happen again,” Lisa Newbern, a Yerkes spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview Monday.
If someone should see the monkey, she said, “people are still welcome to give us a call at 404 727-7732, or Gwinnett County Animal Control, 770 339-3200.”
It was hoped that Ep13 could be in or around the 117-acre Primate Research Center, but repeated searches proved fruitless.
Searchers had speculated the monkey fled into the nearby woods, possibly finding shelter in the surrounding Gwinnett suburbs or even going farther, venturing far outside of metro Atlanta. Yerkes has taken calls from people in other counties claiming to have seen her.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on July 5 cited a Georgia Department of Natural Resources report that Yerkes waited five days before notifying authorities of the missing monkey.
The DNR report showed that after identifying that the monkey was missing on June 15, Yerkes staff started an immediate search of its grounds and on June 17 filed an incident report to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the oversight body for university animal testing.
Yerkes contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture three days later, on June 20, and then the DNR on June 22. The last time Yerkes had conducted a full head count of the monkeys was May 26, when the group was being transported within the facility.
The report also said that five days into the search, a Yerkes veterinarian believed the primate might be deceased. The veterinarian speculated the missing monkey had fallen into a crevice and died, or that a hawk had captured it.
Meanwhile, about 20 area residents filed a complaint with Lawrenceville and Gwinnett authorities against the primate research center, saying it did not belong in a residential area because of the threat escaped animals could pose to neighbors.
Operated by Emory University, Yerkes is one of eight federally funded national primate research centers. It keeps a total of about 3,400 primates at a 25-acre campus in Atlanta and the 117-acre field station in Lawrenceville. The field station, which opened in 1966, is home to 1,899 rhesus macaques and 2,220 animals overall.
For more information about the Yerkes National Primate Research Center: http://www.yerkes.emory.edu/

NEWS - PHOENIX DOCTORS REMOVE MONKEYS KIDNEY

Phoenix Doctors Remove Monkey's Kidney

 10 Aug 2011, 3:23 PM MST

10 Aug 2011, 3:23 PM MST

PHOENIX - A team of doctors headed up by a cardiovascular surgeon have performed a successful surgery on a Phoenix Zoo mandrill with a large abscess on her kidney.
34-year-old Wucaria is the oldest mandrill in the United States, who lives in captivity at the Phoenix Zoo. She was showing signs of pain and lethargy, so zoo veterianarians enlisted the help of some "human" specialists who volunteer their time and service to the zoo.
Dr. Brian deGuzman from St. Joseph's Hospital was asked to assist with the removal of Wucaria's right kidney.
It's been more than two weeks since the surgery, and Wucaria is recovering well. She is back on exhibit at the zoo.
“A procedure like this requires an incredible amount of teamwork,” says Dr. deGuzman. “The Phoenix Zoo veterinarians are an extraordinary team and have been really accepting of the advice that I can provide on the animal cases. Each person on the team brings something different and unique to the table to help out these animals.”
There are 15 people on the Animal Health Advisory Committee. Medical specialists and zoo veterinarians meet once every three months to discuss challenging animal cases at the zoo.

NEWS - INFANT STRESS ON MONKEYS HAS LIFE-LONG CONSEQUENCES

8 August 2011

Infant stress in monkeys has life-long consequences

 By Hamish Pritchard Science Reporter

Baby monkeys grew up anxious and anti-social after the stress of separation from their mothers, a study says.

It suggests changes to the brains of infant monkeys may be irreversible, and the study could be a model for humans.
An early shock to the system may leave the monkeys prone to a life of anxiety, poor social skills and depression.
But the work could point the way to better management and treatment of those who live with a legacy of "early adversity".
The report, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that rhesus monkey babies do not fully recover from the stress of being separated from their mothers at birth.
Some baby monkeys had to be cared for separately if they were at risk from an inexperienced mother, the mother lacked breast milk or the baby would not survive in rainy, cold weather.
But even after three years of living a normal social life following the separation, levels of the stress-coping hormone cortisol in these monkeys remained significantly reduced and their bodies' response to stressful events was slower.
In monkeys and humans, cortisol is released in stressful situations to mobilise energy stores and aid survival.
Changes to developing brain But sustained stress and prolonged release of cortisol can lead to severe impairment of some brain regions as they develop.
The baby monkeys that suffered the stress of separation from their mothers went on to be more anxious and less sociable than monkeys that were raised by their mothers.
This study is unique in demonstrating that, for monkeys, the negative effects of separation in infancy cannot be reversed by a later normal social life, write the authors.
These findings may help explain work reported earlier this week in the American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP) on the link between childhood maltreatment and later depression in humans.
Both of these studies suggest that stress on infants has long-term negative effects.
Dr Andrea Danese of King's College London, co-author of AJP study, said: "In this case you have findings in animals that resemble to an extent the findings in humans both from a behavioural point of view and from a biological point of view."
"If you take studies in humans who have experienced loss I think the findings are quite consistent. Children who lose parents or are separated from parents tend to show more anxious behaviour, and tend also to have changes in the same type of hormones that were measured. In some cases they have poorer social skills, they have more aggressive behaviour."
Long-term illnesses In humans, there also appear to be links between childhood adversity, physiology and other illnesses later in life, possibly through the stress-sensitive immune system.
Dr Danese told BBC News: "Both cortisol and the immune system are related. Cortisol is a very potent anti-inflammatory compound: low cortisol means high inflammation."
"Adults with a history of childhood maltreatment have these elevated inflammation levels. Inflammation is one of the key factors that contribute to a number of age-related conditions like cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and dementia."
"There is something in these stress sensitive systems that is very finely regulated and tuned in childhood. This is because all these systems are developing and maturing during early life."
It appears that stress in childhood, for monkeys and humans, can lead to behavioural and health problems that can only be partially repaired in later life. But there is a positive side to these results.
"The message sounds very negative and I understand why, but from the research point of view I think it is positive because it points to the problem and once we understand the causes of all these behavioural problems, we can then start trying to find the potential cures," said Dr Danese.
He added: "In humans, there is a movement in psychiatry to be moved earlier in life. More and more we're trying to work with young people who have been exposed to traumatic experiences, to maltreatment, to try to see how we can help them overcome their depressive symptoms or work with families and try to avoid the recurrence of the traumatic event."