Ugly and Proud!

Issue 17: Spring 2001 Price 75p ! UUGGLLYY AANNDD PPRROOUUDD! ast Autumn Monkey World was The lab decided that the macaques asked if we would be able to re- should be retired so that they could home a group of 19 stump-tailed live the rest of their days with others Lmacaques (Macaca arctoides) from a of their own kind in a more natural British laboratory. Jim and Alison environment. Cronin went to the laboratory to check A couple of weeks later the out the monkeys and the conditions in Monkey World team agreed to take which they were being kept and found the monkeys as long as a new that all but four of the macaques were home and the cost of caring for the individually housed. The macaques animals was covered. With all Scott and Johnathon enjoy had been kept in research facilities for arrangements made, Jim, Alison, grooming each other many years and some of them had been and Monkey World’s vet, Dr John born in the laboratory. Lewis, returned to the lab to health These monkeys had been used check each individual and get them Many had dental problems and all were for asthma research but into transport boxes ready for physically unfit from their sedentary lives. new techniques meant their journey to a new life! After Their weight and dental problems combined that the animals initial examinations, all of with their red blotchy faces made them some were no longer the monkeys were found to of the ugliest monkeys we had ever seen. required for be in relatively good Out of the 19 only four were female. research. condition. However, all of Checking each individual took all day and it the macaques were wasn’t until late afternoon that the 19 boxes excessively overweight. In were loaded into a van heading for Dorset. the wild a male stump- Earlier in the day, Alison had spent a great tailed macaque would deal of time watching and identifying the weigh approximately individual monkeys in their old cages. It was 10kg but these guys important to try and get an idea of what averaged 20kg. each individual was like; were they shy, aggressive, or friendly. The rehabilitation process was not going to be easy as most of the macaques had been kept individually with a glass barrier in-between them. Over the years the stump-tails had learned that they could “fight” through the glass without getting hurt. Surprisingly a very rigid hierarchy had developed in the corridors where the macaques lived. One or two individuals were able to dominate the others in the room even though they were not able to physically contact each other. Even in the most difficult circumstances, the macaques found a way to express their natural social instincts. Once at Monkey World, the macaques were unloaded in two different groups. Ten of the older animals were unloaded into bedrooms in the Templer Pavilions while 9 younger Scott like many of the others was very overwieght Continued on page 5. UndercoUndercovv It has been a long and wet winter but we have been busy building n February 7th Jim and Alison new houses and enclosures for our Cronin and Dr Kurtis Pei from rescued primates as well as modify- Pingtung Rescue Centre for ing and redecorating old enclosures. OEndangered Wild Animals travelled to The new house for the stump-tailed Vietnam to see how common the trade in macaques is almost finished and the wild caught gibbons and other primates ugly monkeys should be able to was. Last year our two centres joined forces move into their new house by Easter. to rescue and rehabilitate Asian apes and it Our work in Southeast Asia continues was not long before we realised that illegal, and Jim, Kurtis Pei, and I have been wild caught primates were flooding out of tracking smugglers in Vietnam. We Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In particu- have also been making arrangements lar they were interested in tracking golden for the next shipment of and cheeked gibbons (Hylobates gabriellae) in orangutans from Taiwan and they order to find out if the smuggling ring was should be arriving very soon! Other a well organised system or if the trade was recent arrivals include a young pair of simply a hit and miss operation. Jim Cronin, Tilo Nadler and Kurti goeldi monkeys (Callimico goeldii), named Oberon and Juliette. They are The team first travelled to Hanoi in the part of the European Breeding North where they visited Cuc Phuong Programme for Endangered Species Endangered Primate Rescue Centre (EPRC). as are our orangutans, golden- The Director of the centre, Dr Tilo Nadler, cheeked gibbons, and woolly explained that EPRC have been taking in monkeys. Sadly Milagra, our preg- gibbons, langurs, and loris for many years. nant woolly monkey gave birth to a However, in the past year the illegal trade in stillborn baby boy. It was her first primates had declined and the centre only pregnancy and she carried the baby receives approximately one primate per full term so we are hopeful that her month now. Dr Nadler suggested that this next pregnancy will develop and be might be because wild primates are delivered without a problem. declining in numbers and they are more difficult to hunt and trap in the wild. Over the winter we have received a The EPRC team follow up on reports of great deal of support from many endangered primates that they hear about individuals and organisations. Money and work with the Vietnamese Authorities was raised for the monkeys and apes to confiscate illegally held primates. from sponsored walks and runs, EPRC is a beautiful centre that is doing collections in place of Christmas a wonderful job caring for some of the cards, Christmas card sales, dress world’s most endangered primates. down days, craft fairs, charity boxes, From Hanoi the team headed for concerts, and discos. We have also Saigon where, posing as potential received many kind donations of buyers, they hoped to find vitamins and minerals, baby milk, primates in the animal markets. knitted jumpers, jewellery, and On the first day of searching the heavy-duty dog toys. Generous traditional medicine stalls and donations were also given from Attila meat markets they found ivory, Frozen Foods, the customers and staff tiger paws, bear bile and claws, of Vertigo Nightclub, the Fellowship stuffed wild cats and bintur- ongs, and wild animal meat of Animal Lovers, Commercial & openly for sale. In the live General Interiors Ltd, and the Five animal markets were thou- and all the Rivers Dog Agility Club sands of snakes and birds but cast of the Reduced Shakespeare you had to look a bit closer to Company All your help has been see live wild cats, large birds greatly appreciated and will assist of prey, martins, civets, and in rescuing and rehabilitating more flying squirrels. Finding primates. larger primates was not so Thank you! easy. However, there were hundreds of pygmy loris EPRC has bred Douc Langurs in capitivity openly for sale, for US$10, in many shops and on street corners. With a bit of 2 vverer inin VietnamVietnam were made and everyone agreed to meet again the next morning when the gibbons would be brought to the shop. Sure enough the assistant was correct and three baby gibbons were at the shop the next day. They were all together in a tiny cage, just like the gibbons that were confiscated off the Vietnamese boat in Taiwan last year. Two were male and the one female was extremely quiet and withdrawn. The owner wanted US$250 for each gibbon. Amazingly, the owner brought another primate on offer in case anyone was interested in buying. It was a black-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nigripes) which is extremely rare and endangered. This animal was for sale for s Pei at Cuc Phuong Rescue Centre US$300. While the Monkey World and Pingtung team were looking at the primates, searching Jim, Alison, and Kurtis finally the shop owner would not allow any photos found a market with many different wild and or video and he had five people standing domestic animals. In front of several of the outside the shop watching for police. stalls were small macaques in tiny cages for In Vietnam most people know that trading in sale for US$30. Many of the animals looked in wildlife is illegal and they are very sensitive very poor condition, under weight, dehydrat- about it. In a couple of days Jim, Alison, and ed, and over heated. Finally in the back of one Kurtis were able to find gibbons, langurs, of the stalls, Alison spotted a small face macaques, and loris for sale. All of the traders staring out from the back. Checking a bit said that they would be able to get more closer, it turned out to be a very young primates if more were wanted. Sadly the gibbon that was tied to the top of some trade in primates out of Vietnam is still chicken cages. The lady who was in charge of thriving and it would appear that it is a fairly the stall was quite friendly and said she well organised market. After collecting this wanted US$250 for the baby gibbon and that information, Alison sent a full report to EPRC it would take one week to get another gibbon and is hopeful that they will be able to as a mate. convince the Vietnamese Authorities to At another market, that had many wild confiscate these rare primates to take to their animals, a shop assistant said that the owner centre.

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