Our bandits are making the most of the broken trees left behind by the storm. Moments like this show the incredible family bonds of vervet monkeys, as they help care for one anotherās young š«¶
Claudette-Marie & Ellie are absolutely loving their grass timeš Can you guess who the baby in the middle is?
Both Claudette-Marie and Ellie are amazing foster mums to our Goliath babies and are back together for their second year doing what they do best - caring, teaching, and sharing their food! āØ
Wendell š
Meet Wendell, baby number 17 and our resident banana enthusiast! Wendell lost his mum after they were hit by a car, and he was left with a laceration between his eyes.
Wendell is settling in well and quickly showing his cheeky personality, especially when food is involved. Being over 10 weeks old, he was a bit more independent and wild than some of the younger babies, but heās already thriving in the feeding cage and will soon be ready to be reintroduced back with vervets.
Sentinel Update š§ø
Sentinel has been with us since he was just a week old, after he lost his mum in a road accident. Heās been growing big and strong, getting ready to meet his foster mum alongside fellow orphan Vlad.
Sadly, shortly after meeting monkey foster mum Pan at Skunkey, our integration team became concerned when Sentinel became lethargic, had laboured breathing, and stopped wanting to drink. He was immediately removed from the group, assessed by our team, and rushed to the vets as we feared his body was going into shock.
Itās likely he picked up an infection and struggled to fight it off on his own. With antibiotics, fluids, and lots of TLC, heās now almost back to his normal self š«¶
If all continues to go well, he should be reunited with Vlad and Pan next week once weāve confirmed heās fully recovered.
Please send all your healing wishes his way ā¤ļøāš©¹
š Fiona š¦
Fiona, our double amputee at Dino & Daniel, sometimes makes us wonder if she might secretly be part bat - the way she launches herself off branches is truly something else. Itās completely unique to her, thatās for sure!
No arms? No problem. She continues to amaze us every day with her adaptability.
Go Fiona! š
Jyperd Is Growing Up! š±
Our tiniest orphan ever at VMF is growing up fast. Jyperd has been with us for just over two months now, and the change in him has been incredible. He now weighs more than twice what he did when he first arrived and is slowly gaining confidence on the branches.
All he needs now is to grow a little bigger and continue building that confidence before he can begin the process of meeting his foster mum.
We canāt believe how much youāve grown, little one, and we canāt wait to see you continue to thrive š
From Lost to Loved š¤
When Unalii arrived last season, he was one of our most heartbreaking cases. After losing his mum in a road accident, he didnāt know how to survive without her. He had lost all hope and watching him give up was incredibly hard.
Then he met his monkey foster mum, Eliza.
Fast forward one year, and just look at him. An extremely fluffy boy, full of sass and a zest for life we once feared heād lost.
Cases like Unaliiās are tough in the beginningā¦ but seeing him thrive like this reminds us exactly why we do what we do.
So proud of you, Unalii šāØ
Naming Competition Results š„³
Watch the video to find out the names chosen for our next two male orphan arrivals š
Weāll be sure to introduce them properly once they arrive.
If you still want the chance to name a baby monkey, you can sponsor a name for one of our upcoming arrivals with a ā¬150 donation. This contribution helps support their care and their journey to foster mums & troops.
If youāre interested, please email us at info@vervet.za.org for more information.
Thank you to everyone who commented, shared, and continues to support us - we hope youāll stay tuned for their journeys šš«
