Happy World Animal Day! 🌍🐒
Here at the Vervet Monkey Foundation, we care for over 700 rescued vervet monkeys and 6 samango monkeys but they’re not the only animals who call our sanctuary home! 🌿
Our location in Limpopo means we’re also surrounded by some incredible wild animals from wild vervets and brown-headed kingfishers to dwarf mongooses and so many other species. 🐒🐍🐦⬛🦆🦋🕷️🐢🦎🦂🐿️🦌
This World Animal Day, we’re celebrating all the animals who share life at the foundation with us.
Take a look at some of the incredible wildlife we’re lucky enough to see around the sanctuary! 📸
Griffin & Cheyenne
Some of our orphans are becoming a lot more independent but Griffin has always loved his snuggles and cuddling close with foster mum Cheyenne. A bond formed not of blood but love ❤️
Miss Maddie 🤍👑
There are no words to describe the heartbreak of sharing this update.
Early Tuesday morning, at around 4am, we lost our beautiful Maddie. After everything she had fought through, her little body was simply too tired, and she slipped away peacefully in her sleep 🤍
Maddie arrived with us in January after being found cold, wet and covered in ringworm. From day one, she was a fighter. She battled through health complications, worked so hard to gain weight and never gave up on her journey to joining Skrow troop.
She fell in love with Buffy & Kate, and finally got the mummy cuddles she had fought so hard for. Maddie eventually made it into troop life, where she was loved by so many, especially Mae, who adored playing with her. ❤️
Ten days ago, we pulled Maddie from troop when she became critically unwell. She fought incredibly hard right until the end.
Our sunshine girl ☀️
Our brave little fighter 💪
Our princess 👑
Maddie got to experience life, meet her mummies and become part of a troop, something that so many times we didn’t think would be possible. She climbed trees, played with Mae and received so many cuddles & grooms from her troop family. 🌿🐒
Thank you to everyone who played a part in Maddie’s journey, and to everyone around the world who loved her, followed her story and sent her healing wishes.
She touched so many hearts and will never be forgotten.
Run free, our sunshine girl. You fought so hard 🤍🐒👑
Maddie’s Week So Far ❤️🩹
Earlier this week, we shared that Maddie had been pulled from troop after being seen struggling, barely able to keep her head up.
It’s now been a week since Maddie came back into our care. At first, she seemed to be improving, but on Wednesday she started losing her appetite. By Thursday, she declined very quickly and was taken to the vets, where she was placed on a drip. Unfortunately, she continued to deteriorate throughout Thursday and into Friday.
It has been a very scary time for the team, especially for those who have cared for Maddie through so much already 🥺
At times, it has been very touch and go, but Maddie has now started showing some small signs of improvement. She has started eating again and, although extremely tired, is having brief moments where she is active.
However, Maddie is still in a very critical condition and is not out of the woods yet.
We don’t know what the future holds for Maddie, but for now she will continue receiving 24/7 care from her dedicated team.
We’ll be with her every step of the way, doing everything we can to help her get back to a healthy condition and hopefully back to her troop.
Keep sending healing wishes to Maddie ❤️🩹
Tongue Out Tuesday 🐒😝
Zouzou is this week’s Tongue Out Tuesday star!
As one of the newest additions to Lankora Troop alongside Angel, Zouzou is settling in so well with her new troop. When first released Angel & Zouzou had excited zoomies in the trees, playing with each other and being able to climb again. She’s already comfortable around the males, Shemesh, Utku & Berlioz, as well as alpha female Deliah and is finding her place within the troop 🐒
Zouzou was found being sold on the roadside and was taken in by the SPCA. With so little known about where she had come from, we had no way of finding or returning her to her original troop.
Instead, she was given a second chance here at the Vervet Monkey Foundation and she’s settling into her new troop 🫶
Maddie’s Health Challenges ❤️🩹
Maddies journey to troop life wasn’t easy with lots of health challenges and set backs along the way. But once ready, Maddie joined Skrow troop nearly six weeks ago after months of human care, and she had been doing incredibly well settling into troop life.
Unfortunately, yesterday we noticed that she wasn’t quite herself. She was lethargic, struggling to cling on to Mumma Kate and had lost her appetite, so we knew we needed to bring her in for a health assessment and treatment.
After eventually managing to safely bring her out of the troop after trying for nearly 12 hours, Maddie was examined and found to be suffering from dehydration, lethargy and an upset tummy - likely another flare up from her chronic health conditions.
After some hydration (both oral and subcutaneous), medication and some well needed rest, she’s perked up slightly and is now showing an interest in food again.
For now, Maddie will spend some time back in human care whilst we help her get stronger and monitor her closely. It’s not the update we had hoped for after seeing her doing so well but we are glad she’s getting the care she needs ❤️🩹
Please send our little Maddie lots of healing vibes 🫶
Helen 🐒
From a scared little orphan who arrived in 2022 after her mum was killed by a dog, to a confident young vervet who’s thriving in Gismo Troop. 🌿
Helen arrived traumatised and unsure of the world around her, often choosing to climb high into the trees when she was scared and struggling to adapt to life without her mum.
Today, she’s a confident young female in Gismo Troop and the best big sister to five younger orphans who joined the troop after her. She’s protective of the babies, grooming them, carrying them around and always keeping a close eye on them. We think she’ll make an amazing foster mum herself one day. 🥹💚
Seeing Helen find her place in the troop, and watching her have such a positive impact on the younger orphans, has been amazing to watch 🫶
Friday Favourites ⭐️ Nora
This week we’re celebrating our wonderful Primate Carer, Angus!
Angus looks after the monkeys in our middle section, but his days involve a whole lot more than just caring for his monkeys. He’s always helping out with rescue drives and vet trips, cooking up incredible foods for the team and making sure his troops are happy, healthly and safe.
We recently revealed our brand-new Lankora enclosure, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Angus putting in so much work behind the scenes, from building fences and strings to adding branches and making sure every part of the enclosure was safe and ready for the troop to return home. 🌿🐒
When asked about his favourite monkey, he chose Nora 🫶
“I’ve always admired and respected how confident and independent Nora is. She spends half her time living amongst the SAAV troop that she grew up in, or escaping to hang out with the bandits outside, coming and going as she pleases, and being fully accepted by both troops.
Her double lives especially came in handy in the aftermath of the old SAAV troop being attacked, as she has been able to live free amongst the bandits during this time, and I really appreciate how she has consistently been showing her old troop-mates support by regularly visiting them in their temporary homes to keep them company and reassure them during this stressful time.
She’s been visiting me a lot while I’ve been rebuilding the old SAAV enclosure into the new Lankora enclosure. Whether it’s out of curiosity, fondness, or simply to supervise and make sure I’m doing a good job, her company has been very much appreciated!
She has an amazing life and personality, and I’m so grateful to have known her here - and to know that her troop members have her in their lives too.” 💚
Thank you Angus for everything you do for the monkeys, from the everyday care to the big projects that help give them the second chances they deserve. 🌿🐒
