What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Monkey Sanctuary? Playful, naughty, curious, fun, intelligent, protected, natural habitat, and adventure. The Monkey sanctuary has merged with The Elephant sanctuary and shares a beautiful property on the foothills of the Magaliesberg. The property is based west of the Hartbeespoort Dam in a gorge in the Magaliesberg that provides an environment where monkeys are free to live in their natural habitat. The sanctuary proved a safe and protected space where rescued monkeys from zoos, medical testing, and domestic pets can live in freedom. Visitors fund the sanctuary program, curio sales, and donations help to care for the rescued monkeys.
1. Education
The Monkey sanctuary tours share information about why it is not encouraged to keep a monkey as a domesticated pet. Young generations must become active in their communities to be a part of conservation. We have to work together to protect and instill a passion for wildlife. Educating children will help to build a caring and understanding to co-exist with our endangered wildlife species. Educating schools and the youth creates trust and knowledge to respect the monkeys and their natural habitat. Children and businesses can volunteer to assist the monkey sanctuary, and corporates can donate towards the educational drive.
2. Knowledge
The Monkey sanctuary creates crucial awareness to prevent people from keeping a monkey as a domesticated pet. Monkeys are cute and playful, but they are wild animals that can be dangerous. If you provoke a monkey, they can bite, their teeth are sharp. A monkey kept as a pet can bite a child or an owner if provoked. Monkeys, similar to humans, can become depressed due to living conditions and submission. A monkey is a wild animal. Monkeys' natural habitat is the wild. Monkeys are social animals, and they require family and companionship in the wild. They have special dietary needs that they find in the wild. Monkeys must be left to live in their natural environment in the wild. No monkey is suited to keep as a domesticated pet, and we have a responsibility to ensure that animal trade and is reported and stopped where we can.
3. Guided Tour
All visitors will walk through natural indigenous forests on elevated wooden walkways and encounter a variety of exotic monkeys in a natural forest environment. Tours are highly informative, and the walk is leisurely, winding its way through a tranquil forest setting on wooden walkways climbing uphill into the gorge with a circular route back to the entrance. The tour aims to provide visitors with an understanding of the exotic pet trade and what the sanctuary is doing to stop it. You can feed the monkeys alongside a guide. The guide will provide a bowl of fruits. The monkeys jump onto the wooden railing of the walkway to eat out of the bowl in your hand. They are naughty, so you need to hide your keys, sunglasses, and any loose items that can be stolen by the monkeys.
The sanctuary provides a safe and natural free living space for many species. In the monkey sanctuary, you can view bushbabies, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, black handed spider monkeys, ringtail lemur, black and white ruffed lemurs, and common brown lemurs.
The address for the Monkey sanctuary is R104 Old Rustenburg Road, Zandfontein, Hartebeespoort Dam. It will be necessary to book in advance for bigger groups. The contact number for the Monkey sanctuary is 012 258 9904, and the website to find all the detail listed.
https://www.monkeysanctuary.co.za/