Tongue Out Tuesday ๐
Isnโt this just the most perfect tongue out photo of Salty? ๐๐
Life Since Release ๐๐ฟ
And just like that, Maddie is living the life we always dreamed of for her ๐
Sheโs climbing trees, playing with her new friends, surrounded by her troop and enjoying all the little things that make being a monkey so special.
https://youtu.be/jZHP4mCvsAg?is=SWG-FR2-LZ100ppI - you can check out her journey to meeting mums here.
This is why we do what we do. This is rehabilitation. This is Maddieโs second chance โจ
62 Tins for 62 Years ๐๐
With Director Daveโs 62nd birthday coming up on 9th September, what better way to celebrate than by doing something that will make a real difference to our tiniest residents? ๐
This year, weโre hoping to buy 62 tins of baby milk for our upcoming baby season - one tin for every year of Daveโs life. ๐๐ผ
Every year, orphaned vervet babies arrive at VMF needing warmth, care and, most importantly, regular feeds. As they are orphans and are eventually fostered by monkey mums, they require soy-based formula until around one year old, reflecting the natural length of time they would drink milk from their mothers in the wild.
The formula we use has been carefully chosen to support their growth and development during this important stage, and we also add Protexin to help support their little tummies ๐
Until now, weโve been fortunate enough to buy our milk in bulk. However, due to ongoing import problems with some of the ingredients, this year we can only purchase individual tins.
That means we need your help to make sure we have enough milk ready and waiting for when this upcoming seasons orphans arrive๐
Each tin costs R300 (approximately ยฃ14 / $19 / โฌ16) and makes up to 106 bottles.
For our current babies in troop, just one tin would provide nearly four days of milk when they are having two bottles each day.
And in our video, little Manu is showing us exactly why these tins matter ๐ฅน
Weโd love to fill our milk cupboard with 62 tins before baby season begins.
๐ 62 years.
๐ผ 62 tins.
๐ Hundreds of bottles for orphaned babies.
If youโd like to help us reach our goal, you can donate directly through Instagram or head to our donation page and select โBuy a tin of babymilkโ from the dropdown:
๐ https://donate.vervet.za.org
Will you help us buy a tin for Daveโs 62nd birthday? ๐๐ผ๐
Friday Favourites โญ๏ธ Wedding Edition ๐๐
This weekโs Friday Favourite is a little different, because weโre celebrating Hana & Mark as they tie the knot! ๐
Of course, we couldnโt let their special day pass without celebrating two of their favourite monkeys too! ๐
Markโs favourite: Manu ๐ผ
Mark has many favourites, but for this special Friday Favourite weโre choosing Manu, who lives in Engeltjie with Maggie. Manu arrived this year after being illegally kept as a pet and quickly earned the title of our little milk monster! ๐ผ
Hanaโs favourite: Maggie ๐
Maggie came to VMF in 2017 as an orphan as the only survivor after her entire troop was poisoned. Thankfully, Maggie found a second chance in Engeltjie troop and is now a high ranked member of troop.
Hana & Mark have been involved with the foundation for many years now with Hana recently celebrating her 8 year anniversary whilst Mark has been involved since 2012 - thatโs a whole lot of monkeys, memories and love between them! ๐โค๏ธ
From everyone at VMF, congratulations to the happy couple! ๐๐ฅ
Volunteer With Us ๐
Have you ever dreamed of spending time in South Africa while making a real difference to the lives of rescued vervet monkeys? ๐
Weโre looking for volunteers year-round to join our team and help care for vervet monkeys who have often arrived as a result of human-animal conflict and need a second chance.
Many of our youngest arrivals are orphans who need 24/7 care when they first arrive. Volunteers help provide the round-the-clock care they need until theyโre ready to meet their new monkey family, sometimes from as young as 6 weeks old. Our goal is always to get these little ones back where they belong - in the arms of another vervet.
But volunteering with us isnโt just about caring for babies!
Youโll also help care for the hundreds of rescued monkeys living at the sanctuary, from preparing food and special diets to helping with milk shifts, cleaning, enrichment and the day-to-day care that keeps our monkeys happy and healthy.
Itโs hands-on, rewarding and definitely unforgettable! ๐ฅน
With volunteer programmes starting from R17,700 / ยฃ810 / โฌ950 / $1,100 for 4 weeks, you can become part of the team and make a difference while gaining hands-on experience in wildlife rehabilitation ๐
Interested in joining us? Get in touch at info@vervet.za.org or send us a message to find out more!
Thriving in Troop ๐ซถ
Terry is absolutely thriving in troop! Easily recognisable thanks to his golden coat, confidence and our biggest orphan this year by far. Our biggest. Heโs still enjoying his milk, playing with Aura and staying close to his foster mum, Maggs. ๐
From that scared, soot-covered little orphan rescued from near a coal mine to a happy, healthy boy thriving in troop, this is exactly what we work so hard for๐ฟ๐
Your Weekly Dose of Maddie ๐
Maddie has been climbing trees, playing with Mae and enjoying all the grooms and cuddles ๐ฅฐ
This is exactly what we hope for and work so hard to achieve with every orphan who arrives at the sanctuary, to see them grow stronger, find their place and simply enjoy being a monkey again.
And Maddie is doing just that ๐ซถ
