Press Releases
For Immediate Release: 11/21/11
Born Free USA to Save 113 Monkeys from Bankrupt Sanctuary
Texas Court OKs Request to Transfer 112 Macaques and One Baboon, Marking One of the Largest Single Macaque Rescues in U.S. History
On Nov. 21, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, ruled in favor of the transfer of 113 animals — 112 macaques and one baboon — from the now defunct Wild Animal Orphanage (WAO) in San Antonio, Texas, to The Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Dilley, Texas. This is thought to be one of the largest rescues of macaques in history.
According to Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, “Born Free USA has worked for months with WAO and the Texas Attorney General’s office to find a way to help these animals. This is a heartbreaking situation particularly for this large group of primates who would otherwise likely be euthanized without our humane intervention. Every day wild animals need to be rescued from ‘pet owners,’ laboratories, roadside zoos and other abusive circumstances, but this time it is about a large sanctuary having to shut down completely — and demonstrates just how challenging wildlife rescue work is. Wild animals belong in the wild and the scenarios that create the need for sanctuaries should never exist at all. Sanctuaries are filled to capacity, lack adequate funding, and yet are most captive animals’ only hope for a humane future.”
(Video of macaques living at Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary is available at http://www.bornfreeusa.org/sanctuary/videoindex; still photographs are available at http://www.bornfreeusa.org/sanctuary/galindex. All images are “Courtesy of Born Free USA.”)
On Aug. 31, 2010, the Wild Animal Orphanage announced the decision to dissolve “due to overpopulation, underfunding and inadequate housing for the animals.” According to the WAO board, they were in a “do-or-die situation.” WAO had to find placement for 112 macaques, 55 tigers, 14 African lions, 16 chimpanzees, six wolf hybrids and 20 baboons. Sanctuaries were found for all of these animals, in part through the leadership of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), of which Born Free USA is a member.
Finding a home for the 112 primates presented the biggest challenge. In addition to the number of macaques involved, there are other highly complex issues including:
•Their sensitive social groupings — 12 different animal groupings with troops as small as three and as large as 25.
•The age range — from a 1 year old to some in their 30s.
•Many physical health conditions, from blindness to cataracts to skin and age-related bone issues.
•A multitude of mental health issues many of the monkeys still suffer from as a result of the effects of their captivity prior to their rescue by WAO.
At the spacious 186-acre Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, these 113 animals (112 macaques and one baboon) will join the current 532 primate residents and live as freely as possible. Their relocation from the WAO in San Antonio to Born Free USA in Dilley will take place in approximately three to four months after each animal is thoroughly medically tested, sterilized and tattooed, and the Born Free USA facility and staff are completely ready for their highly sensitive transition.
Among the macaques is Fifi, a rhesus macaque who had been a “pet” in a tiny cage in her “owner’s” New York City basement. Her tail was amputated, probably to facilitate putting diapers on her. Chappy, a crab-eating macaque, was a biomedical research subject. The stress of life in the lab led him to pluck his body bald. Dex, a stumptail macaque, also exploited for research, has only his thumb and index finger on his right hand. Fifi, Chappy and Dex, along with Maddie, Leo Stiggy and dozens of others, all suffered at the hands of humans before they found sanctuary at WAO.
The Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary is already preparing for the 113 new arrivals and building several structures and enclosures. While Born Free has, as part of the bankruptcy agreement with WAO, already secured much of the funding needed to create the new enclosures, a great deal of additional support is needed for the ongoing care of the monkeys who can live to over 30 years old — additional caregivers, food, veterinary services will need to be covered.
To learn more about the sanctuary, make a donation or “adopt” a primate, visit www.bornfreeusa.org/sanctuary.
Born Free USA (BFUSA) is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation and public education, BFUSA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and destructive international wildlife trade. BFUSA’s Primate Sanctuary in Texas is home to more than 500 primates rescued from laboratories, roadside zoos and private possession. BFUSA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation,” the vision of the United Kingdom-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film “Born Free,” along with their son Will, now CEO of both organizations. BFUSA’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally.
More at www.bornfreeusa.org; on twitter at http://twitter.com/bornfreeusa; and facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BornFreeUSA.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, (203) 270-8929; rodicompany@earthlink.net.
Wow -- the macaques from Madison, WI are suffering "a multitude of mental health issues many of the monkeys still suffer from as a result of the effects of their captivity prior to their rescue by WAO." Yikes! I wonder if BF even know their history of theses monks! The monkeys are suffering because of the type of care they received at the WAO for almost 10 years! Lack of nutritional meals, vitamins & minerals, lack of heat during the winter, lack of proper stimuli, lack of proper enclosures, lack of water during the hot summer months, and lack of vet care. For Born Free to allow the reader to assume the monks had a great life at the WAO after they left their previous environment, is outrageous. If BF personnel spent any time with these animals, then they know the truth. Breaks my heart that BF is printing this information for public consumption when they refuse to tell everyone the truth about the WAO monkeys--just like how much money they stand to receive from the WAO estate!
Gee, I wonder if the reason why the number of monks keeps changing is due to additional offspring and the death of middle-aged monks each month?
If we have a very cold winter again, you can expect the number of monks to decline dramatically, again.
Later:
Local press coverage -
The Wild Animal Orphanage took in this rhesus macaque in 1998. Along with a baboon, 112 macaques will be placed at Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary.
Photo: RICK HUNTER / SA
A transfer of 113 primates from the defunct Wild Animal Orphanage to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Dilley was approved Monday by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas.
In August 2010, the Northwest Side animal orphanage announced on its website that it was being dissolved because of overpopulation, underfunding and inadequate housing.
More than 190 animals were at two locations, a 7-acre site at 9626 Leslie Road and 102 acres on Talley Road, at the time of the announcement.
The primates, 112 macaques and one baboon, will remain at the orphanage for three to four months until each animal has been medically tested and sterilized and additional structures at the 186-acre Dilley sanctuary are built.
Sanctuaries were found earlier for 16 chimpanzees, 55 tigers, 14 African lions, 20 baboons and six wolf hybrids through the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
Much of the funding needed to create new structures at the Born Free sanctuary was secured as part of the bankruptcy agreement with the orphanage, but the Born Free sanctuary states on its website that it needs donations to help pay for the care of the new additions.
Born Free USA worked with the Texas attorney general's office and the orphanage to arrange for the animals to join the sanctuary, which cares for 532 primates rescued from roadside zoos, laboratories and private owners.
Securing a home for the large number of primates wasn't easy, said Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA.
“This is a heartbreaking situation, particularly for this large group of primates who would otherwise likely be euthanized without our humane intervention,” Roberts said in a statement.
“Wild animals belong in the wild and the scenarios that create the need for sanctuaries should not exist at all. Sanctuaries are filled to capacity, lack adequate funding, and yet are most captive animals' only hope for a humane future.”
Former orphanage staff members were unavailable for comment.
The animals range in age from 1 to more than 30 years old, with physical conditions that include cataracts, blindness and age-related bone issues.
During the 24 years the orphanage was open, it took in hundreds of animals from private owners who couldn't care for them.
There was Chappy, a crab-eating macaque, whose stressful life in a lab resulted in his plucking his body bald. Fifi, a rhesus macaque, had been caged in a New York City basement. And there was Dex, a stump-tailed macaque, used for research that left him with only a thumb and index finger on his right hand.
In October 2010, law enforcement officers recovered a 12-year-old escaped cougar after police shot it with a tranquilizer dart 100 yards from the orphanage.
“Every day wild animals need to be rescued from pet owners, laboratories, roadside zoos and other abusive circumstances,” Roberts said.
“But this time it is about a large sanctuary having to shut down completely and demonstrates just how challenging wildlife rescue work is.”
Staff researcher Kevin Frazzini contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Court-approves-transfer-of-primates-from-closed-2281277.php#ixzz1eRnrnHsY
Later:
I found this on their website: http://www.bornfreeusa.org/news.php?p=3044&more=1
Animal News
Our Biggest Rescue Ever!
Published 11/21/11
We are thrilled to announce that the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Dilley, Texas, soon will have 113 new residents! A bankruptcy court's ruling on Nov. 21 represents the last legal hurdle in our agreement to care for 112 macaques and one baboon from the Wild Animal Orphanage, which declared bankruptcy last year. But there is one more major hurdle for us to overcome, namely our ability to provide shelter, food and caregivers for these rescued monkeys. Please consider helping us out by making a generous donation today to our Primate Sanctuary Rescue & Rehabilitation Fund.
Born Free USA is incredibly grateful to the indefatigable attorneys at Bingham McCutchen who helped negotiate the agreement permitting the transfer of all 113 nonhuman primates to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary.
Interesting. No mention of the $500k from the WAO estate to build new enclosures and to help off-set the cost of animal care. I'm shocked!
And now for the heartbreaking photos of some of the WAO macaques. Notice their thinning body hair; no doubt from poor diet and/or stress. With winter coming, this is not good for the macaques. Hopefully, with increased food, vitamins & minerals the coats will thicken up and look beautiful again. The red faces are normal for younger macaques--as they age, the face color will darken.
These pictures were taken by Michelle Reininger, one of the two caretakers responsible for their "supposed" care at the WAO...
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