Our Marvellous Monkeys
Our Sanctuary is home to monkeys that originate from regions of Central and South America. These are known as New World Monkeys!
Monkeys are primates, just like us! Can you spot the similarities?
Some species of New World Monkeys, including spider monkeys and capuchin monkeys have adapted so that they can use their tail to grip. Monkeys are related to lemurs… And humans! We often hear our visitors comment how alike our monkeys are to themselves. When swinging through the trees to escape danger a spider monkey can reach a top speed of around 40 miles (65km) per hour!
Spider Monkeys live in areas of rainforest in several South American countries and are so-called possibly because of their appearance. In their tree-top home when seen by humans as they gaze up from the ground it seems as though these creatures are all arms and legs, just like a spider.
Brown Capuchins come from South America and are amazingly well adapted to their new environment. This is mainly because they’re incredibly intelligent problem-solvers! They are skilled at using tools to help them with obtaining food and can live in a variety of rainforest habitats.
Geoffroy’s Marmosets, also known as White-headed marmosets or Tufted-ear Marmosets, can be found in the forests of Eastern Brazil. Their diet consists of fruits, insects, and tree gum, as well as small animals such as snails, lizards or frogs!
Common Marmosets, also known as White-tufted Marmosets or White-tufted-ear Marmosets, are native to the northeast coast of Brazil, however they have become an invasive species in southeast Brazil through the release of captive individuals.
