Monkey World is Set amongst the woodland of Dorset lays 65 acres of sanctuary for over 240 primates. Monkey World was set up in 1987 by Jim Cronin to provide abused Spanish beach chimps with a permanent, stable home. Today Monkey World works in conjunction with foreign governments from all over the world to stop the illegal smuggling of apes out of Africa and Asia. At the park visitors can see more than 240 primates of 15 different species.There are currently 60 chimpanzees at Monkey World, which makes it the largest group outside Africa. Monkey World has rescued chimps from Spain, Greece, France, England, Austria, The Netherlands, Israel, Cyprus, Dubai, Mexico and Taiwan where they were being used and/or abused in laboratories, as exotic pets, as photographer’s props, or as circus animals. Their exact histories vary, but the majority of them share part of the same story. Born in Africa chimps are taken from their family groups as youngsters. Poaching expeditions for bush meat and the capture of young animals results in the slaughter of adults as they try and defend their babies and extended family. It is estimated that the removal of one infant will result in the death of up to ten other chimpanzees. The young animals are smuggled out of Africa and then sold illegally abroad.In the case of Spanish beach chimps, they are dressed up in human clothes and worked in tourist resorts, often for 16 hours per day as a photographer’s prop. When the chimpanzees reach 4 or 5 years of age they become uncontrollable and are usually killed in order to be replaced with a new baby chimp. Some photographers will try and control their chimps by beating them and pulling their teeth out and/or putting them on drugs. Monkey World in co-operation with Spanish authorities confiscates all known beach chimpanzees. New arrivals are given a full medical check and such examinations often reveal serious injuries such as machete wounds and broken bones. Many of the chimps come to us addicted to drugs. Recovery and rehabilitation is a lengthy process with many of the animals suffering from malnutrition and anaemia.At Monkey World we rehabilitate the chimps into large social groups but we keep the females on birth control. There are still many chimps that need rescuing and for this reason we do not allow our animals to breed in order that we have the space and funding to rescue others. At present there are 4 groups of chimps at the park; two groups of 20, one of 15 and a nursery group of 5. Each group is given at least 1 hectare of land.Monkey World is also working in Asia with the Pingtung Rescue Centre for Endangered Wild Animals to try to stop the smuggling of gibbons and orangutans from the wild. We are also conducting undercover surveys of the illegal pet trade in South East Asia.On site there is a hospital and operating theatre where most of the medical examination and operations on the chimps and monkeys are performed. While we have a local vet and a specialist primate vet, the staff at Monkey World are recognised as experts in primate rehabilitation and health. We also bring in specialists as needed such as paediatricians, dentists, ear, nose and throat surgeons, ophthalmic specialists, and gynaecologists.Details can be found at http://www.monkeyworld.org/
