Bolivia 11 – Monkeying Around

Jayne was sent to babysit a fully grown male Howler Monkey ‘Canellito’ with a bad foot. She had him for an hour on one day and three and a half hours the next day.  He just sat on her lap cuddled up and frustrated due to his bad foot. Jaynes job was primarily to divert him from picking at his dressing by using an authoritative grunt. I must confess I was a bit anxious about being asked to look after the Monkeys, they have big teeth!

Jayne has had volunteering experience with baboons (in Africa) , Howlers and Squirrel monkeys (UK wildlife park).

Then later I saw Jayne walking past me with a five month old and a three month old Howler Monkey! I thought I can do that!

‘In the normal’ as Juan Paulo (the lead Monkey keeper) would say, volunteers would usually work at least two weeks before being allowed to work with the monkeys. I’m guessing we are not their normal volunteers, being older and judging  from what we had heard, somewhat calmer.

Anyway Jayne gave me a handover of do’s and don’ts then Juan Paulo also gave me some instructions before I collected Ponchita (spelled phonetically) on the first day.

She is a six month old red howler monkey and is slowly being introduced to an established troop. She sleeps in the vets clinic in a small cage at night but each day goes to another larger enclosure next door to the troop.

So the first day I had Ponchita, she was playing and running about as a monkey should. She was able to interact with a female howler through the wire but I had to watch for the big male. I was told not to grab her with my hands on her body but to use her tail to remove or manoeuvre her. Their tails are immensely strong and have a finger like texture at the end on one side. It is definitely a fifth limb. The team delivered her some food, apple, beans, lettuce and beetroot, she gobbled the lot, after chucking the lettuce on the floor!

That day the vet came over and wanted me to move Ponchita into the gallery because she needed the enclosure to treat the dominant male. So Ponchita was on my shoulder watching the process. Obviously they were bribing the male with fruit! Then he moved close to the wire near where we were and Ponchita jumped on the partition to get the fruit. I grabbed her tail and brought her back to me, just like a child in a temper, she bit my ear! Then went back towards the male, the vet Melissa then gave her a grape which mollified her and she came back to me!

Because my ear was bleeding it was cleaned in the vets clinic! A monkey bite and treatment by a vet, a first for me!

The next day, I had Ponchita and a three month old Red Howler named Sahira in the enclosure. It was cloudy and cold for them both. The little one kept pulling my hand over her to keep her warm and she slept a lot. She was a lot more timid and wobbly on her feet. I had to break food up for her and hide some because Ponchita would just come and steal it. It was like looking after a new born and a 3 year old human!

At times Ponchita was trying to attract the attention of the troop by lying on a branch with her tummy exposed. This time 2 females and a young male interacted with her, it really good to see. Juan Paulo said this was a really positive sign. Even the Alfa male would sit nearby when they were interacting. I was on my guard of course!

Howlers, so named because of the sound they make, but to me it sounds like a hurracaine coming. The Alfa calls the others to howl and the the whole troop howl, all facing one direction. One of the sweetest things was to see Ponchita howling (more a wheezing sound) when the troop were in full flow! Another good sign!

I saw Sahira, grow in confidence, play fighting with Ponchita or climbing in the enclosure. Jayne was with them for a total of 5 days and saw the biggest changes.

We both learned to read them, they would cuddle your neck if they were cold. If Ponchita was getting hungry she would scrape her teeth on the back of my head with increasing pressure as she got more frustrated. It’s a horrible feeling but I don’t think she has quite shaved my head!

I was with the babies for three days, it was such a responsibility and a privilege to do this, and I know it freed up the staff to deal with more monkeys arriving and general husbandry.

I’ll tell you a bit more about the other monkeys next!