Joan Brull
FUNDACIÓ MONA'S MAGAZINE- NUM 40 JULY 2020
Primate Rescue & Rehab Center
COVID-19 AND THE NEW SITUATION AT MONA
When news of the arrival of the new virus broke, we asked ourselves one question: can non-human primates be infected? The answer was not known at that time but given the seriousness of the situation already seen in Italy, we decided to cancel all activities and confine part of the team of caretakers to the sanctuary’s facilities to minimize the risk of transmission. And as the weeks passed, scientists warned of the great risk that this coronavirus poses to the survival of the great apes already in danger of extinction. The news was terrible. And then we knew that we had made the best possible decision because the keepers and primates have been safe. The fact that due to human greed and the mistreatment to which we subject the planet, the virus has spread practically all over the world should open the eyes of the entire population. We should not ignore scientists and environmental educators who have been warning for years that the relationship with Nature must change and governments must align themselves with management that respects life on Earth. That is why we joined in the request of Eurogroup for Animals proposed to the European Parliament so that serious measures are taken and there is a real and positive change in the “new normality”.
THANK YOU! We would like to thank the whole team for their efforts, from the colleagues who have been in charge of the primates’ safety and the sanctuary, to the rest of the staff who have continued working from home to keep the project alive. And of course to the partners, collaborators and sponsors who make all this possible with their generosity. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
NEW SAFETY MEASURES FOR VISITORS AFTER REOPENING: even smaller group visits with controlled entry the visits will be of 1 hour duration new route to avoid crossing paths with the caregivers and their work areas disinfection points: for hands and shoes details of further measures are given when making the reservation the use of a mask is mandatory (on sale in our shop if you need it)
PLANS CHANGE: As we have already announced a few months ago, the land that had been given to us in Porqueres-Banyoles will not be MONA’s final destination.
Creative Commos Lisence: Mathieu Cheviron
And we would like to be able to tell you where we are going, but at the time of this writing, we still don’t have a new plot of land. After the halt of the confinement, we are now still searching for the final home for the primates in MONA’s new rescue centre.
7th EDITION
2020-22 MASTERS IN
P R I M A T O L O G Y 90 ECTS STARTING DATE: OCTOBER 15th 2020
Education is also adapted to these new times and our Master's degree next edition is in
BLENDED LEARNING MODE: virtual teaching onsite internship
More info at:
investigacion@fundacionmona.org masterprimatologiaudg.com
Organised by:
@primatologia
LONG TIME NO SEE!
STEVEN WISE, 30 YEARS OF LEGAL FIGHT FOR CHIMPANZEES A few months ago we enjoyed the visit of the Founder and President of the Nonhuman Rights Project. We were able to listen to and share experiences and concerns with one of the people who have been fighting to change the legal status of sentient beings, such as chimpanzees. Why? For them to obtain fundamental rights and not be considered as mere things. A necessary change to improve their lives and everyone's world.
NEW ONLINE COURSES This year we have launched the online version of our courses. We are very happy with the great feedback, they are a big success! And you,are you interested in acquiring and improving your knowledge related to primatology? 24th to 26th July: Introduction to Primatology 21st to 23rd August:Intelligence and cognition in primates 2nd to 4th October: The emotional life of the animals Check out rates and discounts. Limited vacancies! fundacionmona.org/cursos-online-2020/
Scarred for life: the other side of pet and entertainment chimpanzees
Joan Brull
Week 1 after easing lockdown restriction, almost three months without seeing the primates (well, that’s not counting some video calls filled with tears of joy from the little kisses that Juanito gave me through the screen). I get out of the car, my heart races. “Is it possible that Charly is already recognizing me with the mask and sunglasses from so far away?” I wonder. After a greeting to my colleagues (keeping the 2 meters distance, of course), I rush to disinfect my shoes and go to Mutamba’s viewpoint. Then there is no longer any doubt, Charly has recognized me, because when I arrive he turnes his back on me. He is very upset with me. He always gets angry when I go on vacation for two weeks. This time I think it will be harder for him to forgive me. I greet Juanito, Marco and Bongo who have come to the perimeter to welcome me and every time I glance over I catch Charly looking at me out of the corner of his eye. I wish I could explain everything to you, Charly. Or maybe you wouldn’t understand the senselessness of the human kind’s vileness that has led us both to this situation…
After having suffered for the gain and entertainment of humans, we now have the obligation to care for and offer them the best possible living conditions. Being able to do so, depends greatly on our capacity to understand what they experienced and how they were affected by their past.
Social grooming It is a key social behaviour to primates. Early trauma affects chimpanzees’ grooming competencies throughout their life.
1st published studies Researchers from MONA, the University of Girona and the University of Graz (Austria), study the impact of a previous life as a pet or being used for show business.
12 years of data analysed from MONA’s rescued chimpanzees
Results: Low grooming rates This study reveals a much lower social grooming rate if:: they have been poached from their natural habitat they have spent their first 5 years in social isolation
They suggest that, similar to humans, chimpanzees experience a very sensitive social and emotional development phase during infancy, and traumatic experiences in that time can have a lasting impact on their future behaviour and quality of life.
Project financed by "la Caixa". The results mentioned here have been published in the journal PLoS ONE: D. Crailsheim, H.P. Stüger, E. Kalcher-Sommersguter & M. Llorente (2020). Early life experience and alterations of group composition shape the social grooming networks of former pet and entertainment chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226947
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The MONA Foundation was created to put an end to the illegal trafficking, exploitation and mistreatment of primates in captivity and to denounce their current risk of extinction. MONA has established one of the few rescue centres in Europe that provides a home for life to chimpanzees and other rescued primates, where they can live in a natural environment and where we can learn to understand and respect them.