monkey life(1/14)
daily, 18.30–19.00
Beginning on Five this week is a brand new series following the day-to-day lives of the 160 monkeys, chimps, orangutans and other primates that live in one of the largest rescue centres in the world: the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset.
Filmed over the course of a year, the series follows the rescue and rehabilitation stories of some of the world’s most abused and neglected primates, and finds out how the staff – including animal manger Jeremy and keepers Emma, Paul and Mike – look after their furry charges, and recounts the centre’s funniest and most shocking stories, alongside animal dramas of all kinds.
The series also documents the hard work of the late Jim Cronin and his wife Alison in their mission to try and stop the illegal smuggling of these animals. Jim founded Monkey World, which he and Alison built from a small refuge to a 65-acre wildlife park that is now home to more than 160 rescued primates and 15 different species. Sadly, Jim passed away on 17 March this year after a short battle with cancer. His career was spent striving for animal conservation, and last year he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for Services to Animal Welfare.
Read more