Date opened 7 August 1987 Land area 65 acres (26.3 ha) No. of species 20 Opened 7 August 1987 Phone +44 1929 462537 | Location Dorset, England No. of animals Over 250 Website monkeyworld.org Founder Jim Cronin | |
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Address Longthorns, Wareham BH20 6HH, UK Hours Open today · 10AM–5PMThursday10AM–5PMFriday10AM–5PMSaturday10AM–5PMSunday10AM–5PMMonday10AM–5PMTuesday10AM–5PMWednesday10AM–5PM Similar The Tank Museum, Lulworth Castle, Adventure Wonderland, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove | ||
Monkey world ape rescue centre
The Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre is a 65-acre (26.3 ha) ape and monkey sanctuary and rescue centre near Wool, Dorset, England.
Contents
All alone at monkey world ape rescue centre
History
Set up in 1987 by Jim Cronin with assistance from Jeremy Keeling, and later operated by both Cronin and his wife Alison with a team of care staff led by Keeling, Monkey World was originally intended to provide a home for abused chimpanzees used as props by Spanish beach photographers, but is now home to many different species of primates.
Monkey World works with foreign governments to stop the illegal smuggling of wild primates. In January 2008 the group performed what The Guardian called "the world's biggest rescue mission of its kind," when it saved 88 capuchin monkeys from a laboratory in Santiago, Chile, where some of the animals had been kept in solitary cages for up to twenty years. The operation was carried out at the request of the laboratory, and with help from the Chilean Air Force, who flew the animals to Bournemouth airport with special permission from the British government.
In August 2010 Monkey World rescued a Bornean orangutan called Oshine from Johannesburg, South Africa. On 7 December 2010 Monkey World rescued an orphan baby Sumatran orangutan called Silvestre from a zoo in Spain. In January 2011, Monkey World rescued a chimpanzee named Kiki from Lebanon.
On Saturday 17 March 2007 Jim Cronin died in a New York hospital aged 55 years, from liver cancer. His widow Alison Cronin and the staff at Monkey World have continued to run the centre.
Dao Tien Rescue Centre
In 2008, Monkey World, Pingtung Rescue Centre, Cat Tien National Park and the Forestry Protection Department worked together to create the Dao Tien Rescue centre in South Vietnam to save gibbons and other primates from the pet trade, smuggling, theme parks, and restaurants. Since opening the centre in 2008, Dao Tien has confiscated and/or rescued over 50 endangered primates including golden-cheeked gibbons, pygmy slow loris, black-shanked douc, grey-shanked douc, southern white-cheeked gibbon, northern buffed-cheeked gibbon and silvered langur. 27 of these primates have been rehabilitated and released into native habitats. After release they are tracked using radio collars.
Television appearances
The TV documentary Monkey Business has completed its 9th season and its successor Monkey Life, going on its 8th season. Other television appearances include:
Russell Brand often talks about Monkey World in his BBC Radio 2 programme and podcast, and he mentions it on Big Brother Celebrity Highjack when a house mate makes monkey noises.
Awards
Monkey World has won a number of awards, including:
Jim Cronin and Alison Cronin jointly received the Jane Goodall Award for their work with Monkey World.