Friends of Monkey World

Monkey Business is back for two episodes in June, covering the history of Monkey World.

The episodes will be shown on Meridian ITV1 at 19:30 on 05 June and 12 June.

There is some more detail in this article from the Bournemouth Echo, but note that the dates in the article appear to be wrong. The full article is well worth reading.

IT’S little more than a year since we mourned the passing of Jim Cronin, the inspirational founder of Monkey World rescue centre near Wool.

[June] sees the brief return of Monkey Business, the TV programme largely responsible for raising awareness of Jim’s work, in the first of two special editions to honour the man, his mission and what he has left behind.

Monkey Business: Jim’s Legacy (ITV1, 7.30pm) goes right back to the beginnings of Monkey World in 1987 when New Yorker Jim took on a derelict Purbeck pig farm and fought tooth and nail to establish a place in which exploited apes and monkeys from around the world could learn to be themselves again.

… a second programme will look at what Jim Cronin has bequeathed to the public and the future for Monkey World.

From the forum:

Returning to Five this week [12 May 2008] for a new run of programmes is the documentary series following the day-to-day lives of the 252 monkeys, chimps, orangutans and other animals that live in one of the largest primate rescue centre in the world.

Filmed over the course of a year at the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset, the series follows the nail-biting rescue and rehabilitation stories of some of the most abused and neglected primates in the world. It also explores the unwavering hard work of Dr Alison Cronin MBE and her team in their ongoing mission to stop the illegal smuggling of these animals from the wild.

Displaced and abused animals from all over the world are brought together at the centre, where they are given the chance to spend the rest of their days being cared for in a safe, natural environment. From power struggles to bonds of friendship, family feuds to new arrivals, Monkey Life follows the daily dramas of some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet.

Continue Reading »

If you haven’t come across it before, I recommend you take a look at the Gombe Chimpanzee Blog. It is now hosted by the Jane Goodall Institute.

You can follow the movements of the chimps in Google Earth, giving you a good sense of exactly where on Earth they are.

From Bournemouth Echo:

MONKEY World, the Wool primate rescue centre, has been honoured for its “selfless liberating and caring for our animal friends”.

The unique Shining World Compassionate Award, from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, was presented to Monkey World director Dr Alison Cronin on Thursday.

A cheque for $5,000 accompanied the plaque, which was presented by association representative Ruth Stannard.

Dr Cronin said: “It is just a fantastic award, one that recognises acts of kindness towards the animal kingdom, which at Monkey World we feel is really important.

“I am honoured and pleased, especially as this award is given for acts of kindness, which is something we need more of in the world.”

From Dorset Echo:

STAFF at Monkey World have appealed for herbs and edible flowers to help feed creatures at the park.

They need the plants for the diet of primates - particularly the 88 capuchins they have recently acquired.

Dr Marina Kenyon, who has worked with capuchins at Monkey World for nine years, said: “Many plants, such as garlic, onion and fennel are used by capuchin monkeys by rubbing them on their fur.

“They do this as part of a bonding exercise as well as using the herbs as insecticides to prevent against biting insects in the warmer months.

“Many of the capuchins we have were taken from the wild as infants or born in captivity, so providing them with herbs and flowers they can use is a great way of encouraging their natural behaviour.

“With such a large increase in our capuchin family we would welcome members of the public wishing to bring in rooted herbs such as these, as well as a number of seedlings and rooted plants that gibbons and woolly monkeys can use.”

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From Dorset Echo:

A RARE gibbon has been born at Monkey World at Wool.

The baby is the second golden-cheeked gibbon to be born at the rescue centre, and third gibbon infant overall.

Staff at Monkey World at Bovington are delighted with the new arrival.

The baby is being looked after by his mother, Zoey, and is feeding well.

Zoey is a golden-cheeked gibbon who came to Monkey World from the Pingtung rescue centre in Taiwan.

The baby’s father, Jake, was brought to Monkey World from Los Angeles Zoo as part of a European breeding programme for the endangered species.

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From Daily Telegraph:

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Researching his role as a lovelorn King Kong in Jackson’s 2005 remake (another triumph of motion capture), he travelled to Rwanda to see the apes in situ and spent months working as a keeper at London Zoo, becoming so close to a thirtysomething gorilla called Zaire that whenever his wife, Lorraine, tagged along, she was angrily squirted with water. These days he fundraises for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and does voiceover duties on Monkey Life, Five’s terrific documentary series filmed at Dorset’s Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre (’While most of the gang are enjoying their treat, dominant female Sally doesn’t join in’).

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