Horndean & District

May 2019 - Life with Primates

Members of the Horndean & District U3A met for their regular monthly meeting on Friday 3rd May at Merchistoun Hall. They were entertained by Mike Colbourne talking about his "Life with Primates."

Mike was born in North Wales and when 4 years old moved to Portsmouth. Local careers officers always suggested the Dockyard or the Navy but he was convinced at an early age that that wasn't for him. Realised he wanted to work with animals. Got a job at 18 yrs old at Chester Zoo where it enabled him to live with his Gran in the Welsh village he loved and commute to the zoo The boss asked which area he would like to work in; he said he wasn't interested in reptiles, fish or birds so it was suggested he started with the gorillas. At this time gorillas had never been bred in England.

After six and a half years Mike moved to Bristol Zoo where he was in charge of the ape house where he had three young, approaching puberty, gorillas. After about 18 months he was breeding gorillas for the first time in England. Also the orangutans were breeding. He stayed at Bristol Zoo for 27 years and then he moved to Monkey World because of his disillusionment overall with zoos. He could see a new opportunity because most of the animals at Monkey World had a need for a new home and had been abused in some way by humans. He liked their ethos of giving the primates as natural an environment as possible so that they could have a secure and peaceful place to live.

Mike is concerned about many people in the UK taking tiny baby monkeys (not yet weaned) into their homes as pets. The monkeys look upon the person as their mother and as they grow older become jealous of other people and attack and bite them. They are not cute little animals, they have very sharp teeth and bite...the owners get fed up with them; often are not aware of what to feed them on and how to keep them. After the animals join Monkey World the difference in them after just six months is amazing - they develop muscles, their hair improves, they have the right diet and they are out in the fresh air, living with their own kind and enjoying themselves. A very rewarding job.

Jim Cronin, Dr Alison Cronin & Jeremy Keeling together started Monkey World in 1987 rescuing chimpanzees from the beaches of Spain. Photographers used the chimpanzees for tourists to be photographed with. The chimps were obtained by poachers going to Africa who would steal a baby chimp from the wild who would be smuggled across the world to the photographers. Many died en route. The tiny chimps would have their baby teeth smashed out so they couldn't bite the tourists. They were dreadfully abused. The Spanish Government were concerned about the chimps being maltreated but did not know what to do but became confident in allowing Monkey World to take them on for a happy life and retirement.

Monkey World breed from the orangutans, the woolly monkeys and the golden cheeked gibbons because they are all in danger of dying out. They carefully move them on to zoos that must have a good track record of caring for the animals and monitor them in their future life. They are the only place in the world being successful in breeding woolly monkeys.

Mike showed many slides of his much loved animals with lots of stories attached - chimpanzees, (although not nice, cute animals and can be violent and are incredibly strong), orangutans, Siamang gibbons, ring tailed lemurs, squirrel monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, golden cheeked gibbons and more. He also showed slides of the spectacular enclosures at Monkey World where the animals are able to enjoy themselves totally. They receive no Government grants. All the funds needed to run the rescue centre is obtained by donations, fund raising. visitors fees and by people adopting an animal. For more information about Monkey World go to the Monkey World website. Mike has loved his many years and work there and is very proud of what it achieves.

Mike then asked Bob to volunteer and put a chimp faced hat on him. He then proceeded to show us how chimps are trained with a clicker. Bob very soon caught on and responded beautifully to the sound of the clicker and especially enjoyed the rewards! Everyone enjoyed a thoroughly entertaining and humorous afternoon.

Diane Stoner
Speaker Coordinator