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.

No two days at Monkey World are the same, and its residents all have their own unique personalities. In today’s programme, animal manager Jeremy takes a treat to the chimps at the Nursery Group. He has brought them a bucket full of water containing a selection of tasty goodies and vegetable oil. As the chimps play with the water, they come into contact with the oil – a necessity for animals with a tendency to suffer from dry skin. Seamus, one of the more outgoing members of the Nursery Group, also entertains himself by checking Jeremy’s ears and nose for bugs – and it is not long before the others join in, prompting Jeremy to wail: “David Attenborough never had this problem!”

Many of these chimps, and some of those in the centre’s other three chimp communities, have been rescued from horrifying lives in which they were badly treated. As Monkey World is primarily a rescue centre, breeding is usually discouraged. However, as some of the primates’ numbers are at an all-time low in the wild, breeding is a must for certain animals. The centre is involved in three international breeding programmes for orangutans, golden-cheeked gibbons and woolly monkeys. As woolly monkeys are difficult to breed in captivitiy, there is great excitement when the park’s third infant is born –but when its mother rejects it, the keepers realise that they must step in if the baby is to have any chance of survival.

Elsewhere in today’s edition, we meet heavily pregnant orangutan Ro-Ro, and drama unfolds as the woolly monkey mother attacks her baby.

Tomorrow, there is a challenge for the staff as four chimps ‘move house’ in one day, in the park’s biggest change around to date. Baby chimps Ash and Rodders have breakfast at home with keepers Emma and Paul.

And, as Monkey World is the European crèche for baby orangutans who need a home, there is news from Russia of an orangutan orphan who needs a family.

On Wednesday, keeper Mike is on a monkey mission in Moscow for the baby orangutan, named Joly. Back at the park, Joly’s future home has been built –and her soon-to-be housemates give it their seal of approval! And in Paddy’s chimp group, there is a ‘toddler tantrum’ from Eddi.

In Thursday’s edition, Joly arrives –but her new housemate Hsiao-Ning is not pleased to see her. Elsewhere, there is another new arrival as Ro-Ro gives birth, and animal manager Jeremy captures the incredible moment on camera. Unlike Ro-Ro’s first attempt at motherhood, all the signs look good –but the baby must feed.

On Friday, chimpanzee Charlie has to undergo emergency dental surgery, while Ro-Ro has problems with her new baby. And Seamus has failed to make any friends in Hananya’s group, so moves back to his old nursery troop.