Words by Abi Scaife
Two wildlife centres in Peru are helping to rehabilitate monkeys back into the wild.
Aww! Tell me more.
Peru’s Madre de Dios region is one of the most biologically diverse in the world, but it has its fair share of problems. One of the biggest issues it faces is illegal gold mining - a venture which often makes trouble for the natural life in the area.
Miners will disappear into the forest and stay there for weeks, often surviving by poaching monkeys. If they happen upon babies, they often keep them as pets or sell them into the illegal animal trade.
That’s awful!
It is - but luckily, Amazon Shelter and Taricaya Eco Reserve are doing what they can to help out. The Amazon Shelter has a programme specifically for rehabilitating howler monkeys, while Taricaya Eco Reserve focuses its efforts on spider monkeys - which went extinct in the area up until Taricaya reintroduced them in 2010.
Animals are rescued by SERFOR (Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre - or the National Forest and Wildlife Service) and brought to Amazon Shelter and Taricaya where they are looked after.
After being cared for by these hard-working activists, the monkeys are released back into the wild - so they can rejoin their families and groups in the forest!
If you feel moved by this and want to support these incredible organisations, you can find out how to donate, volunteer and spread the word on the Amazon Shelter and Taricaya Eco Reserve websites. If you feel called to help out closer to home, you can support The British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council through their website.
