The Monkey Sanctuary was founded in 1964 by Len Williams, father of classical guitarist
John Williams, as a
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
to care for rescued
woolly monkey
The woolly monkeys are the genus ''Lagothrix'' of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae.
Both species in this genus originate from the rainforests of South America. They have prehensile tails and live in relatively large soc ...
s. Based in
Looe
Looe (; kw, Logh, ) is a coastal town and civil parish in south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 at the 2011 census.
Looe is west of Plymouth and south of Liskeard, divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe ( kw, links ...
,
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, the sanctuary is home to woolly monkeys that are descended from the original rescued pets, a growing number of
capuchin monkeys
The capuchin monkeys () are New World monkeys of the subfamily Cebinae. They are readily identified as the " organ grinder" monkey, and have been used in many movies and television shows. The range of capuchin monkeys includes some tropical fore ...
rescued from the current UK
pet trade
Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...
,
and a small group of rescued
Barbary macaques. The monkeys live in large enclosures that the general public can view during the Sanctuary's open season in the summer months.
There is a colony of rare
lesser horseshoe bats living in the cellar of Murrayton House, a 19th-century building that is the visitors' centre and accommodation for staff and volunteers. The bats can be observed from the "bat cave", a room that shows CCTV footage from an infrared camera installed in the cellar.
The Monkey Sanctuary is the flagship project of Wild Futures
(UK registered Charity number 1102532
). Wild Futures is dedicated to promoting the welfare, conservation and survival of
primates.
Wild Futures campaigns to end the primate trade in the UK and abroad, and to end the abuse of primates in captivity. Through talking to visitors, schools and other groups, they aim to educate the public and raise awareness about the issues primates face in captivity and in the wild, and to promote and support
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
efforts worldwide.
Notes
References
*
External links
*
Wild Futures
{{authority control
Animal charities based in the United Kingdom
Buildings and structures in Cornwall
Co-operatives in the United Kingdom
Organizations established in 1964
Primate sanctuaries
Tourist attractions in Cornwall
Zoos in England
Zoos established in 1964
1964 establishments in England