At The Belize Zoo, sometimes animals are received that can be rehabilitated for a life back into the wild. For instance, a few of the species TBZ has rehabilitated and set free includes Anteaters, a Jabiru stork, and a pair of Bat Falcons.
When it comes to primates, both the Spider Monkey and the Howler Monkey, TBZ is lucky to be able to work in concert with primatologist Robin Brocket. Robin heads up the Wildlife Care Center and for well over a decade or more, she has been restoring monkeys back into the forests of our country. Many times, the monkeys have been kept illegally as pets. Government officials at the Forest Department will confiscate wildlife held illegally, and then bring the animals to facilities which can properly manage these species, or in the best situation, rehabilitate them for release back into the wild.
For confiscated monkeys, anyone “in the know “ here in Belize, realizes that Robin’s expertise is to be trusted for restoring monkeys held in captivity back into a wild environment. The process begins with Robin providing native foods for the monkeys, foods which they will later seek out as they forage along in their wild habitat. Monkeys are real “troopers’!! They live in troops with a bit of a social structure. Robin has found that the success rate of a monkey introduction is far more likely if a small group is first brought together, trained to eat their favourite available browse foods, and then, released together as a compatible troop, back into the forest.
If a Spider Monkey or a Howler Monkey proves to be lacking the “primate powers” for a sound life in the wild, then, Robin works with Zoo officials to see that a smooth introduction occurs within the established "Monkey Homes" at the zoo. It is very tricky “Monkey Business.” However, both species are positioned to have brighter futures due to the complementary work established between the Wildlife Care Center and The Belize Zoo.
A very important lesson to convey, monkeys make bad pets! It is not only illegal to keep both the Spider and Howler Monkeys as pets, but having a monkey in close proximity to us, can pose serious health problems to both monkeys AND people! Hey! Best to keep them wild in the wild!!
1 comment:
hellooo!!! :-))
Is it the same monkey?? Have a look on my blog!! I explain the story of a baby Howler monkey in Belize!!!
http://here--and--now.blogspot.com/2010/01/el-pequeno-huerfano-le-petit-orphelin.html
I translate it for you!!
When we visited the city of Caracol, met the beautiful adopted baby park rangers. It's a Howler Monkey, the monkey's largest monkey in Belize.
When he was a month or two of life fell from a tree and opened his head. As it was in fairly serious condition, the guards took him to the zoo in Belize. That got heal slowly. Then they brought him back to Caracol, and left under the tree where it fell, but the baby did not want to climb. They tried to make up, and bring it to the families of monkeys upstairs, but would not rise, and above did not seem concerned.
When we reached the site, I played a bit with him. He liked my bottle of water because it was cool and damp outside.
After our visit, I found him lying on the floor and sat down beside her. He looked at me telling me to sit a long "mmmooooohiiiiiiii!?" and then came to curl up and grabbed my arm strong. It was very tender and very sad at the same time.
Today it continues to grow with the guard, to see what will happen later. Maybe an adult will return with his family. Wish you a happy life, it is with humans or with their own. :-)
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