At "Dolphin Corners" we have an animal orphanage
to assist animals that have been abused, abandoned, confiscated victims
of the black market, parents eaten by the natives, etc. A number of different
species of monkeys have fallen into our caring hands over the years. The
rarest and most bizarre monkey as of yet is the "Red Bald-Faced Uakaris"
(C.
Calvus Rubicundus). These monkeys are extremely rare and endangered,
so any help we get will do volumes towards protecting them.
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"Amadeus Mozart"
A very loving one-and-a-half old female. Unfortunately,
we sexed Amadeus as a boy when she was a baby. It is very hard to sex these
monkeys at such an early age. |
| "Ludwig V.B."
Ludwig is more of a thinker, preferring to
keep to his thoughts until his monkey nature gets the best of him. Only
then will he play on his swing or on his striped hammock. Or if he likes
you, he may even steal your glasses. He is also one-and-a-half years old. |
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Here are Amadeus and Ludwig at only 1-2 weeks
old. Roxanne Kremer had to feed them every two hours to assure that they
would live. She also had them sleep in her bed at night to listen for any
complications that may arise. This also comforted them as Roxanne's heart
beating made them think they were with their mothers. As you see above,
the monkeys are doing just fine and are very healthy.
Their parents were eaten by the Jivaro Indians
because the uakari is a traditional food item they've eaten for generations.
We don't want to interfere with their traditions, but we also don't want
species such as the uakari to go extinct. The uakari is on the list of
"extinction" by C.I.T.I.E.S. There is a delicate balance we are trying
to achieve that will sustain all life for generations to come. |
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"Tinker Bell D."
Tinker is a rollicking, little one year old
female who prefers her milk in a bowl as opposed to a baby bottle. This
mode of drinking gives her a nice sized "milk-beard." She loves to be brushed
until her coat is smooth and silky. We think she's a little vain, but love
her very much. |
| "Sebastian Shatzy"
This little guy is only four months old. He
is so full of energy and life that we named him "Duracell" because he can't
sit still for even a moment. Shatzy came to us in January 1988 when he
was dropped by his mother, who was being hunted at the time for food. How
sad the mother must be to lose her baby this way. |
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| What makes the "Red Bald-Faced Uakaris" different from
other monkeys?
"Let's just say they are very different from
other monkeys," remarks David Olive, the 24-hour medical clinic doctor
and official uakari caretaker. He is their surrogate father, having hand-raised
them from the young age of one week old. They are more human-like than
monkey in that they don't have an innate desire to destroy everything like
the average monkey. In addition, they have only a stump where their prehensile
tail should be as they are a New World monkey. This means that they climb
exclusively with their hands and feet, which oare often difficult to tell
apart. |
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| Just imagine a monkey about two-and-a-half pounds,
covered with long red hair except the face, a short stumpy tail that wags
like a dog when excited, and is full of energy producing all kinds of interesting
chirps, clucks, and whistles to demonstrate itself. They may even rear
up on their feet and walk up to thirty paces. "Not your average monkey,"
observes David.
What do these Uakaris eat?
Unfortunately, these monkeys never had the
chance to be raised by their mothers in their natural environment. In human
hands, they choose to eat what we eat and refuse traditional monkey goodies
such as caterpillars, insects, etc. Some of what they eat includes, celery,
fresh greens, green string beans, corn on the cob, raw sweet potatoes,
apples, oranges, bananas, hard bread, some seeds, and some near-ripe fruit.
They love mile and baby powder formula as a wake-up and bed-time treat.
Water is always in demand in the hot, humid jungle. We still experiment
with foods they might eat out of our supplies. We're trying to raise them
the best we can with the little knowledge and financial resources we have.
Each monkey costs about $35 a week to properly feed and care for them.
Our success has been very good as we have not lost a uakari for almost
two years. |
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