💛 Friday Favourites - Oisin & Niamh
This week’s Friday Favourites is from Phyllis Ashcroft, one of our main Dreamland contributors.
Phyllis’s favourites are Oisin & Niamh, two juveniles whose names she chose after her Irish Heritage.
Oisin was sadly kept as a pet, while Niamh was the sole survivor of a troop poisoning. The two little ones made their way to us from Johannesburg Wildlife Vets, with Mark picking them up in Polokwane along the way.
Oisin is definitely the more boisterous of the pair, while Niamh is finding her feet and gaining confidence. The two have now been integrated into Hope Enclosure, alongside Rocio, Nita and Jamba. 🐒
Those who know Rocio will know she can sometimes be a little… opinionated! 😂 But with these two youngsters, she has been incredibly attentive and loving. When Rocio recently returned to the enclosure after some TLC & treatment, there were plenty of lip smacks and loving reunions between her and the little ones 🥰
And speaking of exciting news… Dreamland currently has its very first baby! We’ll soon be sharing a video reveal of all the current setup so we can see what Dreamland’s incredible support has helped us create.
A huge thank you to Phyllis and to every single person who has supported Dreamland. You are helping us create a safer, brighter future for monkeys like Muse 🌟
Oudia 🫶
Oudia arrived after a difficult start to life. She had been kept by humans and on a leash, which caused a huge bump to develop on her back and cause her to look a little like a hunchback! Basil also arrived alongside her after he had been kept in a small cage hanging from a tree.
She was incredibly shy when she first arrived, but it’s been so lovely watching her confidence grow. These days, she’s actually the more social of the two and is becoming quite the little character.
We’re currently working our way through the adult integrations, with Aroha and Nicholas, having shifts to get them into troop whenever we can. As always, we’re taking things at their pace, Nicholas took his first steps into Daniel & Dino troop recently but wasn’t quite a fan and retreated back to his IC.
From a very shy girl to a confident little character- we’re so proud of how far Oudia has come 🥰🐒
Baby Team Pick Up 🐒🍼
Come along with Sophie & Anna from the Baby Team as we collect our newest arrival, Muse.
Every arrival intake is different depending on what they need.
Muse needed her lungs checked, wounds cleaned, her little face cleaned and a bath as she was found near a coal mine after her mum was electrocuted. Other babies might just need their temperature and weight checked and a general health assessment, while others may need a vet appointment, medication or subcutaneous fluids.
It’s all about figuring out what each baby needs and getting them settled and comfortable as quickly as possible.
Muse is settling in well and has already started learning how to drink from a bottle, which means it won’t be long before we can start making a plan for her to meet her monkey foster mum 🫶
Stay tuned for more of little Muse’s journey…
And so baby season begins… 🐒
After a 5 hour round trip to Mokopane yesterday, little 4 week old Muse was safely brought back to The Vervet Monkey Foundation, where she’ll heal, grow and get a second chance.
Our first orphan of the season, Muse arrived covered in soot after her mum was found electrocuted at a coal mine. Little wounds cover her tiny body and it’s likely that she was alone for days. She was taken in by another wildlife rescue on Friday, where she was very dehydrated, listless and struggling to survive.
But thankfully, she made it.
Because from here, her story can be different. She has a safe place to heal, a monkey foster mum waiting to love her, and eventually a troop she can call her own.
After everything she’s already been through, all we can hope for now is that this tiny orphaned vervet gets the chance to grow up exactly as she should, within a troop.
Welcome home, little Muse. Your story is only just beginning. 🫶
South African Summer = Pool Time 🐒💦☀️
When temperatures rise, keeping our rescued vervet monkeys cool and comfortable becomes a top priority. Along with playing in cool misters, sitting in summer shelters and eating delicious frozen fruit treats, pools give the monkeys at the Vervet Monkey Foundation a fun way to cool down.
A little dose of Georgie to brighten up your day 💛🐒
Our newest rescue now has a name: Lily! 🐒🌸
Lily arrived at the foundation on Sunday night after being found beside the road with puncture wounds to her head.
She’s slowly recovering with antibiotics, regular wound cleaning and critical care from our team. Unfortunately, alongside her head injury, she also has internal parasites, so she’s being dewormed too. It’s a lot for such a little body to deal with 🥺
But Lily is slowly regaining her feisty spirit, and that’s exactly what we want to see! She still has a long way to go, but that little bit of fight is what we’re hoping will help her get stronger.
Growing on the foundation grounds are beautiful Impala lilies, which symbolise strength and resilience. It feels like a fitting name for a little girl who has already been through so much. 🌸
Lily remains in critical condition, and we’re taking each day as it comes. For now, she has a team caring for her and helping her heal ❤️🩹
We hope that one day, this little fighter will be strong enough to return to the wild and be reunited with her troop. 🌿
And just like that… baby season is nearly here! 💛🐒
Our wild troop of vervets, the bandits, have started welcoming their own little babies, which means we’re getting ready for another baby season at the foundation! 🌿
Baby season is one of the most emotional and rewarding times of the year. As orphaned little ones arrive, frightened and alone, our team works around the clock to give them the care, comfort and love they need.
Through our Foster Mum Program, these babies get a second chance at life, meeting their very own monkey foster mum and eventually becoming part of their new troop.
But we can’t do it alone! With 24/7 care, night feeds and plenty of little mouths to feed, we need volunteers and interns to help us through the months ahead.
✨ Ever dreamed of making a real difference in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation? Now’s the time to join us!
Head to our website to find out more about volunteering and internships, then drop us an email at info@vervet.za.org.
Come and be part of something special this baby season! 🐒💛
