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Monkey World

Coordinates:50°41′50″N2°13′04″W/ 50.697311°N 2.217725°W/50.697311; -2.217725
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Not to be confused withMonkey Planet.

Monkey World
Map
Date opened7 August 1987
LocationDorset,England
Land area65 acres (26.3 ha)
No.of animalsOver 250[1]
No.of species20
Websitemonkeyworld.org

50°41′50″N2°13′04″W/ 50.697311°N 2.217725°W/50.697311; -2.217725 TheMonkey World Ape Rescue Centreis a 65-acre (26.3 ha)apeandmonkeysanctuary,rescue centre andprimatariumnearWool,Dorset,England.

History

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Entrance, photographed in May 2006

Set up in 1987 byJim Croninwith assistance from both Jeremy Keeling[2]and later operated by both Cronin and his wifeAlisonalong with a team of care staff led by Keeling, Monkey World was originally intended to provide a home for abused chimpanzees used as props by Spanish beach photographers, but is now home to many different species of primates.[3]

Monkey World's first resident was a femaleBornean orangutannamed Amy, who had been hand-reared by Keeling. Amy was later paired with a male orangutan named Banghi, who was given to Monkey World on loan fromChester Zoo.In 1997, Amy and Banghi had a son together named Gordon before Banghi died in 1998. On 13 July 1987, Monkey World's first chimpanzees Paddy (d. 2016), Busta, Jimmy (d. 2021), Micky, Sammy (d.2022), Taffy (d. 1989), Beth, Cindy and Zoe (d.2021) arrived at the park. In April 1998, Monkey World rescued a young female chimpanzee named Trudy, who had been filmed being beaten byMary Chipperfield.[4]Chipperfield was later charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty.

On Saturday 17 March 2007 Jim Cronin died in a New York hospital aged 55 years from liver cancer. His widowAlison Croninand the staff at Monkey World have continued to run the centre.[5]

Monkey World works with foreign governments to stop the illegal smuggling of wild primates. In January 2008 the group performed whatThe Guardiancalled "the world's biggest rescue mission of its kind," when it saved 88capuchin monkeysfrom a laboratory inSantiago,Chile,where some of the animals had been kept in solitary cages for up to twenty years.[6]The operation was carried out at the request of the laboratory, and with help from theChilean Air Force,who flew the animals toBournemouthairport with special permission from the British government.[7]

In August 2010 Monkey World rescued aBornean orangutancalled Oshine fromJohannesburg,South Africa. On 7 December 2010 Monkey World rescued an orphan babySumatran orangutancalled Silvestre from a zoo in Spain. In January 2011, Monkey World rescued a chimpanzee named Kiki fromLebanon.[8]

In September 2018, Monkey World rescued a female chimpanzee named Toprish (d. 2023), who had been stolen from the wild for the illegal pet trade before being left at a zoo in Turkey. In October that same year, Monkey World rescued another female chimpanzee named Naree, whom Alison Cronin first encountered with Jim in 2003.[9]

In February 2020, Monkey World rescued a 37-year-old chimpanzee named Kalu, who had been kept as a pet on a stud farm in South Africa until her owner's death.[10]

DuringStorm Eunicein February 2022, a very rarewoolly monkeywas unexpectedly born, only to be followed by another in March.[11]The park also suffered during the storm, with lots of trees being felled and fences being damaged.[12]

Overview

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Monkey World features the largest group ofchimpanzeesoutside of Africa which are housed in four different social groups.[13]Many of its animals are rescued from the black market pet trade, laboratories and from abuse as tourist photographer props. The park also features three groups oforangutans,including two different species (BorneanandSumatran). It is host to Europe's only orangutancrèchewhich raises all orphaned or abandoned orangutans in Europe.[13]Whilst open to housinggorillas,the park has not yet come across any which require rescue or rehabilitation at the park.[14]Additionally, the park houses five different species ofgibbon(agile gibbon,lar gibbon,Müller's gibbon,siamangandgolden-cheeked gibbon) and 14 species of monkey/prosimian(capuchins,common marmosets,Geoffrey's marmosets,cotton-top tamarins,patas monkeys,red-bellied guenons,ring-tailed lemurs,white-faced saki,slow loris,spider monkeys,squirrel monkeys,stump-tailed macaquesandwoolly monkeys).[13]

Dao Tien Rescue Centre

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In 2008, Monkey World along with the Pingtung Rescue Centre,Cat Tien National Parkand the Forestry Protection Department worked together to create the Dao Tien Rescue centre inSouth Vietnamto savegibbonsand otherprimatesfrom thepet trade,smuggling,theme parksand restaurants.[15]Since opening, Dao Tien has confiscated and/or rescued over 50 endangered primates includinggolden-cheeked gibbons,pygmy slow loris,black-shanked douc,grey-shanked douc,southern white-cheeked gibbon,northern buffed-cheeked gibbon,white-faced sakiandsilvered langur.27 of these primates have been rehabilitated and released into native habitats. After release they are tracked using radio collars.[16][17]Dao Tien is run by the charity Endangered Asian Species Trust (EAST), who rescue and rehabilitate endangered Vietnamese primates.[18]The work of Dr. Marina Kenyon and her team has been documented in theMonkey LifeTV series since Series 2.

Television appearances

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The TV documentaryMonkey Businesscompleted its 9th season in 2005 and its successorMonkey Life,is currently in its 14th season. Other television appearances include:

  • Monkey Life– Season 4 onNational Geographic Channel
    • Seasons 1, 2 & 3 onAnimal Planet;currently showing on Animal Planet (Europe)
  • Monkey BusinessonITVand Animal Planet. A concluded series produced by Meridian Television focusing on Monkey World. Nine series have been broadcast to date, with two specials on "Jim Cronin's Legacy" broadcast in June 2008.Monkey Businesshas been succeeded byMonkey Life,produced by Primate Planet Productions Ltd.
  • Challenge AnnekaonBBC
  • Nature Watchon ITV
  • Operation Chimpanzeeon BBC
  • State of the Arkon BBC
  • Animal Hospitalon BBC
  • CNN&Sky TV,highlighting a rescue operation inTurkeyof smuggled chimpanzees
  • ITVGMTV,covering the illegal pet trade in Turkey. Since 1998 Monkey World has been working in cooperation with the Turkish Government to stop the smuggling of chimpanzees from the wild for the entertainment and pet trade.
  • QED Saving Trudyon BBC
  • Animals in LoveEpisode 1 on BBC, discussing siamang gibbon Sam's depression of losing his mate Sage and son Onion before recovering after being given a new mate named Sasak.
  • Inside Out Londonon BBC, discussing if keeping exotic pets should be banned.

Russell Brandoften used to talk about Monkey World on his oldBBC Radio 2programme and podcast.

Awards

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Monkey World has won a number of awards, including:[19]

  • Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence, 2014, 2012 and 2011[20]
  • Highly Commended Bournemouth Tourism Awards, 2012[21]
  • The Independent 50 Best Spring Days out in Britain, 2004
  • The Good Britain Guide, Family Attraction of the Year for Dorset, 2000

Jim Cronin and Alison Cronin jointly received theJane Goodall Awardfor their work with Monkey World.[22]

See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toMonkey World.
  1. ^"Rescue & Rehabilitation".Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre.Retrieved10 October2014.
  2. ^"UK | England | Dorset | Monkey World boss Jim Cronin dies".BBC News. 20 March 2007.Retrieved26 March2013.
  3. ^"Jim's Dream".Archived fromthe originalon 9 May 2014.Retrieved10 July2014.
  4. ^"BBC News | UK | Abused chimp's new life".BBC News.Retrieved9 August2019.
  5. ^Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre – MONKEY BUSINESS STAR DIESArchived27 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
  6. ^"UK | England | Dorset | Charity rescues Chilean monkeys".BBC News. 30 January 2008.Retrieved26 March2013.
  7. ^Balakrishnan, Angela."Dorset sanctuary completes world's biggest monkey rescue",The Guardian,30 January 2008.
  8. ^"Kiki the rescued chimpanzee welcomed at Monkey World (From Bournemouth Echo)".Bournemouthecho.co.uk. 29 January 2011.Retrieved26 March2013.
  9. ^"Smuggled chimp rehomed after 15 years".BBC News.Retrieved5 March2020.
  10. ^"Meet Kalu the chimpanzee, the latest arrival at Monkey World".Bournemouth Echo.11 March 2020.Retrieved21 February2021.
  11. ^"Not one but TWO rare woolly monkey births!".Monkey World.27 April 2022.Retrieved3 June2022.
  12. ^"Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre, Official Facebook Page".ms-my.facebook.com.Retrieved3 June2022.
  13. ^abc"Our Primates".Monkey World.Retrieved3 September2020.
  14. ^"Frequently Asked Questions".Monkey World.Retrieved3 September2020.
  15. ^"Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre Background".EAST.Retrieved10 October2014.
  16. ^"About Us".EAST.Retrieved10 October2014.
  17. ^"The Primates at Dao Tien".EAST.Retrieved10 October2014.
  18. ^"Endangered Asian Species Trust".Go-east.org.Retrieved3 April2016.
  19. ^"Monkey World Awards".Monkey World.Retrieved10 October2014.
  20. ^"Monkey World".Tripadvisor.Retrieved10 October2014.
  21. ^"Bournemouth Tourism Awards: who were the winners?".Daily Echo.23 November 2012.Retrieved10 October2014.
  22. ^"Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre".Indie YA Books.Retrieved10 October2014.
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