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Published: March 11th 2014
The last few days of my stay in Kenya I spent in Niarobi. The first day I visited kibera which is a slum just on the outskirts of Nirobi town. I could only view it from a distance because I'm told it's not advisable to enter without a guide and I hadn't got time to arrange one. The sites of the slums even from a distance were a shock. Their homes, the overcrowding, the rubbish and the smell was discussing. Really hard to imagine living in such squalor.
The following day, I've visited an elephant sanctuary set within Niarobi national park. I managed to find a motorbike taxi who took me. Asking each rider for a price to take me ranged from Sh5000 £35 to my eventual acceptance of Sh500 £3.50. It's approximately 20 mins from Nairobi and well worth the visit. The sanctuary houses approximately 50 elephants and all are released into the wild between the age of 4 or 5 years old. It costs the sanctuary £750 per year to care for one elephant and they rely wholly on donations. Surprisingly the entrance fee was only Sh500 to enter. They were a real pleasure to watch, touch and
feed.
From the elephant sanctuary I've visited a popular restaurant called Carnivore where I tried buffalo, crocodile, snake, along with all the usual meats, lamb, chicken, beef and pork. A welcome treat after many weeks of not great food.
15th Feb and I'm travelling onward to South Africa to volunteer in a Monkey Sanctuary. The sanctuary (International Primate Rescue) is just north of Pretoria. IPR started as a Marmoset Welfare Foundation in March 1996 in Polokwane, South Africa. The founder Sue studied behavioural problems and other disorders in captive and/or orphaned primates. The sanctuary, the first of its kind in South Africa, received its first monkey in April 1996 and has continued to grow ever since. Sue and the primates relocated to Pretoria in 2010 to a larger property in order to accommodate the growing numbers of primates in need. The sanctuary has since received primates in need from as far afield as Mali, Germany, Hungary America Asia and Israel. The sanctuary currently cares for over 100 primates, including Marmosets, Tamarins, Capuchins, Macaques, Squirrel Monkeys, Mona Monkeys and Grey Mouse Lemurs. The sanctuary houses exotic primates, who are unable to be returned to the wild, and therefore time
and focus is aimed at ensuring all enclosures are as suitable and comfortable as possible. I'm surprised at how small some of the enclosures are for some monkeys but I'm told they are only temporary. The sanctuary is continuing to grow and in the process of developing their own quarantine area to be able to receive needy primates quicker. There are 2 chimps in quarantine at the moment that the sanctuary are due to receive in August. One enclosure in particular is in need of repair and the four capuchin monkeys have escaped on many occasions. They are not particularly dangerous to humans unless threatened. Although they do tend to stay quite local to their enclosure the main concern for them once they have escaped is if they get lost. If they stray too far then they have to be darted with a tranquilliser. One monkey stopped breathing temporarily when darted and it's possible if he is darted again then he will die. After 4 long days of trying to capture them in a box, the 4 capuchins, Dark, Mango, Chippy and Rusty will be moved into a small temporary enclosure whilst theirs is being repaired. They seem quite stressed
in their smaller surroundings but it shouldn't be for too long.
The monkeys here are mainly hand reared ex-pets who arrive with behavioural problems and require rehabilitation from psychological disorders. It cost approximately £2000 to buy a pet monkey here and some (not IPR) sanctuaries sell them to raise funds for their sanctuary. Other monkeys are from laboratories who are very aggressive and don't like human contact at all. Some are from zoos that have developed behavioural problems. Very few monkeys have come from the wild, and those that have, are from overseas so they will never be released back into the wild. I've seen people walking about with money's on a lead and on shop doorways, there are signs saying No Monkeys!
There are also non primates, tortoises, hedgehogs, fennec foxes, bush baby's, birds, chickens, 6 cats and 15 dogs here. They all have a home here and are cared for very well.
At 3pm every Thursday its Monkey Time. This is a time where the volunteers can choose between 5 enclosures they want to enter and spend time with certain monkeys. The only enclosures that that are available are 3 of
the marmoset enclosures, the squirrel monkeys, or Thimone the Tamarin. This is because other monkeys are too aggressive or it would be too stressful for them. Even though some monkeys like Chino, you can play with through the fence, they would possibly become aggressive if you entered their enclosure. I've been in most enclosures that I'm allowed to and each one has been great but the squirrel monkeys I've enjoyed the most. It's been a pleasure to watch and learn about all the monkeys, and even after a few days it's very easy to notice that some monkeys are getting to know you as you get to know them. Chino (a capuchin) is definitely my favourite.
Day to day routine is feeding, observations, cleaning and enrichment. Enrichment is making things to climb on to put into the enclosures. Each time we put a new item in, they explore their enclosure like its new and interesting. Most feed 4 times per day and eat extremely well. The work structure here is very laid back and it sometimes feels as if you are given work just for the sake of keeping you busy. I don't feel useful here at all and
i certainly don't feel as if I've made a difference, unlike my experience in Kenya.
There are 18 volunteers here at the moment, comings and goings each week. Volunteers from England, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, France, Australia, New Zealand and America. They are all female apart from 1 male (poor bloke) who arrived this week. Most volunteers are short term like me, staying anytime from 2 weeks to 3 months. The long term volunteers (most doing vocational studies) stay for a year but their stay is free. There is a definite divide between the short term and the long term volunteers. It seems as if your opinion doesn't count if your a short term volunteer. I can't say that I received the friendliest of welcomes and found some of the women here act pretty much the same as primates by letting me know that they were in charge! The communal living I've found to be difficult, having food go missing, constantly cleaning and washing up after people hasn't exactly enhanced my stay here although I have met some really lovely people here too, friends for life. The accommodation is very basic and very dirty. It floods each time it rains.
The sanctuary is only half full now and its already difficult to use the kitchen and find fridge and cupboard space. the dorms would be vastly overcrowded when full and I'm thankful I won't be here for the Easter or summer holidays when the numbers increase. There is a neighbour who allows the volunteers to use their pool on certain days and although the weather hasn't been great since arriving, it's a quiet place to go on your day off. Each volunteer works 5 days out of 7 but to travel around is expensive and unsafe on your own and you may not be off on the same day as friends so it's difficult to plan a day out. For this reason, I can't say I've seen much of South Africa and what I have seen is very hostile. The divide between black and white is very evident. I've enjoyed my time here at the sanctuary but because of the very poor accommodation, facilities and the expensive travel here, I wouldn't consider a return visit.
Money is needed desperately to build new enclosures and in have provided a link below if anyone wishes to donate to the
sanctuary.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hope-for-homeless-primates/x/6643917
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Tracey Allsopp
non-member comment
Hello
Great blog Lisa, loved the elephant photo's. for such large animals they look very gentle and appear to be quite calming to be around. South Africa does not sound great and you need to keep safe - glad you are out of there soon - keep up the good work, love you xx