Comments On: Apes and Monkeys

The shy orang-utan or "Man of the Woods" is Asia's mysterious red ape. It lives in the remote steamy jungles of Borneo and Sumatra and for a long time was known more from fabulous native stories and for his reputation as an abductor of pretty girls than from documented scientific accounts. In recent years, however, several extensive studies of this fascinating animal have been made and although some mysteries still remain the orang-utan is now one of the better known primates. The orang-utan is large, red long-haired ape of very striking appearance. It is active in the daytime and spends most of its time in trees.
Adult males are about twice the size of females and have cheek flanges of fibrous tissue that enlarge their face and very long hair which enhances their aggressive displays. Orang-utans have very long arms for arboreal locomotion and hook-shaped hands and feet. They use their heavy weight to swing trees back and forth until they can reach across gaps between one tree to the next. Most orang-utans only occasionally descend from the trees to travel on the forest floor, though large males do so more.
On the ground they use their strong arms to bend and break branches to obtain food and to make sleeping nest for the night. Their teeth and jaws are relatively massive for tearing open and grinding coarse vegetation. spiny fruit shells, hard nuts and tree bark. Orang-utans have a large throat pouch, most fully developed in adult males, which is inflated during calling and adds resonance to vocalizations, particularly the territorial "long call" of the adult male. The orang-utan has a large brain and is as highly intelligent as the other great apes. Brad and Trouble
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Curiosity in Monkeys. by Charlie Smith.
Recently Wisconsin's Primate Laboratories devised a puzzle that involves learning to discriminate between stimuli. The normal procedure in such test is to give a reward, such as food, for the correct response in a choice between two different stimuli. In this experiment, the only reward was the opportunity to manipulate objects. Ten screw eyes were mounted in two vertical rows on a metal panel. Five of them, colored red, were removable. The other five, colored green, were firmly fixed. The screw eyes were randomly placed so that the only clue to whether they were removable was color. The monkeys soon learned that the red screw eyes could be removed to play with, any they almost unerringly touched only those. These experiments yielded two important findings; that the opportunity to manipulate objects is a reward enough to motivate monkeys to learn, and that an external stimulus, like internal biological one, can evoke a drive.
The curiosity motives apparently motivated by external stimuli. What kinds of stimuli are most effective in eliciting the manipulation drive? Wallace Welker, of the Yerkes Laboratories of Primate Biology, has completed experiments on chimpanzees which bear directly on this problem. On a table before the chimp's cage he placed a pair of objects. One of the pair would be movable, and the other fixed, the handling of one would produce a sound , and the other not. Like monkeys, the chimpanzees showed strong preference for movable objects over fixed ones, and for the objects that produced a sound or triggered a light over those that yield no change in the environment. After 30 minutes with a pair of objects, the animals became bored and stopped handling them, but their interest could be maintained if new stimuli were introduced periodically. Young chimpanzees consistently display more manipulatory behavior than older ones. Brad and Trouble
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The Delicate Woolly Monkey by Leonore Brandt [part one]
The day I met the first Woolly monkey will always be a memorable one. It was in Vienna during my student days, and I had been looking forward to this occasion ever since I had learned how greatly impressed the great naturalist Darwin was with the Wooly's likeness to man. When I inquired at the Viennese Menagerie why there was no Wooly on exhibition, I was informed that they cannot throw out public money for an animal that will either die during shipment or shortly after arrival. "They are too sensitive," the director told me. " and do not acclimatize well." Many times since, I have experienced the truth of this remark.
When a friend called me one day to identify a monkey which she had just bought from a hotel owner-who, in turn, had received it in lieu of money from a penniless guest-I was certain I'd find a Rhesus or Capuchin monkey, which were most frequently seen as pets in Vienna. My surprise and pleasure was therefore great when my friend's new acquisition turned out to be a baby Lagothrix Humboldtii, a Humbolt's Wooly Monkey.
His former owner was as thoughtful as he was penniless, and excellently detailed information on how to feed and keep Pedro accompanied the baby, whose age was given as seven months old. For over fore years, I was able to see Pedro at least twice a month; watch him grow into an absolutely tame adult; and keep records on all important events, such as teething, etc. On an ice-cold January morning, a desperate phone call from my friend summons me to her home. Pedro had refused his breakfast, he seemed listless, and did not want to leave his bed. When I arrived an hour later, he had passed on. He had not shown any signs of being ill, and had eaten his supper the night before. Probably the winter was too long and hard for him, in spite of a sunlamp and even room temperature.
When I received Pogo's photo from Mr Author E. Gibbs of Canton Ohio, I was vividly reminded of Pedro who had the same innocent childlike expression. Pogo was a very sick little Woolly monkey when I first heard from Mr. Gibbs, but I am happy to report that he has recovered. The trouble with Pogo was that Canton is in Ohio, and not in the jungles of Brazil where the Woolly hail from. So, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs and I combined forces to devise means and ways to make their Canton home more acceptable to Pogo. But you have to heap love and attention upon a Woolly monkey when he has acclimatization trouble, just as the Gibbs did, or your pet will succumb. If you do not have the time or willingness to devote the right care to this delicate pet, then you will be much better off with one of the hardy Old World monkeys, which you will find in the Macaque family. Even the less delicate New World monkeys, the Capuchins and the Spider, need a high, even temperature with enough humidity in it to prevent dry cough, asthma, etc.
Brad and Trouble
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The Delicate Woolly Monkey by Leonore Brandt [part two]
The right amount of humidity plays a big part in a Woolly's well being. Our modern heating systems have killed many monkey pets. If you do not own a humidifier, just a large basin filled with water close to the radiator, or other heating source. Let me assure you, a Woolly is worth every bit of extra attention you have to give him.
A very important point is that the Woolly mother nurses her young for about a year and sometimes maybe longer. Therefore, when you buy a baby monkey, you should never force them to eat adult food. And do not become impatient when he wants to cling to you, or cries when you put him down. This just shows that he is willing to adopt you as his foster parent, and he will thrive only if you carry out this role to his satisfaction and his needs. The adult Woolly will thrive on this following diet:
All fruits in season; sunflower seeds; white, wheat or raisin bread; lettuce and vegetables (raw, or canned for a change); cooked chicken; raw, or cooked lean beef; insects; vitamins and minerals, calcium very important; salt; milk (half evaporated milk, half water); and slightly sweetened tea. No alcoholic beverages, no spices, and no tobacco are permissible!
The only time alcohol is beneficial is as a stimulant, or to arouse lost appetite, Then it best be given in the form of egg-nog: One yolk of an egg, one teaspoonful of whisky, one teaspoonful of sugar, two teaspoonful of sweet cream all well beaten together .
Baby monkeys thrive well on canned baby foods, cooked farina, orange juice, milk (if they accept it), barley water, slightly sweetened tea, grapes, bananas, stewed apples and pears, vanilla wafers, and raisin bread. Cooked chicken, finely ground, can be given quite early. Also chicken and beef broth, A warm cloth wrapped around chest and abdomen, and a hot water bottle to sleep on are essential. On Easter Sunday, I got a telephone call from Los Angeles. It seems a young Woolly pet had killed a baby chicken, and eaten part of it. "I know Woolly monkeys are strictly vegetarians," the unhappy owner told me, and wanted to know if she should have the monkey's stomach washed out. I assured the lady that there is no such thing as a "strictly vegetarian monkey," because, in their natural habitat, birds bird eggs, reptiles, small rodents, crustaceans, and insects are eaten regularly.
The most lordly Woolly monkey I ever knew lived for about three years at the Cincinnati Zoo. He was purchased together with a young female Woolly and two baby Black Spider monkeys. To make the acclimatization easier for them, the zoo director asked me to give them, their daily vitamin ration as a special treat, though they were not stationed at the Children's Zoo.
Brad and Trouble
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The Delicate Woolly Monkey by Leonore Brant [part three]
Between Mr. Woolly and myself, it was love at first sight. He climbed into my arms, immediately, and told his companions, in no uncertain terms, to stay away from me. He got very bossy whenever one of them wanted my attention, though he never interfered when I divided the vitamin-soaked orange slices evenly between them. All through his life he was the undisputed king. The two Spiders had some marital differences at times. When the fussing and screeching got too much for Mr. Woolly, he just sidled close to the arguing couple, and rapped on a nearby perch with his hand. The Spiders quieted down immediately. And His Lordship returned to his snoozing place in the sun.
Even if you do not like to see monkeys in human clothes, it is necessary to teach your baby Woolly to wear jackets or sweaters. That is not a matter of "Cuteness" it cuts done colds and other respiratory diseases. A warm belly band for babies and youngsters prevents digestive upsets due to changes of temperature.
It is very hard to determine the age of a monkey, and I will give you the following pointers. Until the permanent teeth begin to grow in, your monkey should be treated like a baby and child. When the permanent teeth are in, he may be considered a juvenile. When his canines are in full view, which arrive last, your pet has become mature. Sexual maturity is closely related to the appearance of the canines.
Teething may be a very hard time for any monkey, and many are lost during this period. It often accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, listlessness, and complete loss of appetite. Psychologically, they are becoming infants again, and have to be treated as such. It is advisable to examine the teeth often. In most cases, the permanent teeth are growing out behind the baby teeth, and the monkey is unable to bite off or chew well. Even grapes should be peeled at such a time, every thing cut to bite-size, and no hard food given.
I do not think that any medication other than milk of bismuth is necessary to stop diarrhea in such case. To recognize the trouble early, and not let the monkey grow weak, it is best to keep a daily check on your pet's teeth. You have to groom him daily anyhow, and an inspection of the entire monkey at the same time is done easily. The skin has to be watched from head to foot, the eyes should be clear, the nostrils dry, and the gums behind the teeth should be examined for any sign of permanent set breaking through first. If the gum looks sore, swab them with a mild solution of baking soda (one-half teaspoon to a glass of warm water). I hope you are on such good terms with your pet monkey, that he will not object to this procedure. IF it upsets him too much, you should let the gums heal by themselves, before the "ordeal" is imposed on him. End
Brad and Trouble
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