by Cynthia Armstrong | Photos courtesy of Tim Ajax, Oklahoma Primate Sanctuary
Located outside Newcastle, the Oklahoma Primate Sanctuary (OPS)
has cared for hundreds of primates in need for the past 25 years. Primate residents range from a few years old to more than 30 years of age and represent 16 distinct species: three species of capuchin, four species of vervet-type monkeys, patas monkeys, six species of macaques, and two species of lemurs.
All the resident primates are either retired from research, rehomed from the pet trade, retired from display, or have been the subject of cruelty cases. Because of their unnatural upbringing in those settings, many of the monkeys display abnormal behaviors when they arrive, which they developed as a way to deal with the intense stresses they suffered in their early years. These primates can never be released to the wild, so the sanctuary’s focus is on providing a highly enriched environment that stimulates and encourages engagement in natural behaviors such as foraging for food and social grooming.
A Modest Beginning
thrived and loves all types of foods.
In 1993, sanctuary founder Linda Barkley accepted a female rhesus macaque monkey named Mindy Sue. The aging monkey suffered from some painful conditions. As Barkley desperately tried to save the monkey’s life, she witnessed firsthand the intelligence, strength, and awareness that was Mindy Sue. After Mindy’s passing, Barkley named the organization in her memory (Mindy’s Memory Primate Sanctuary) and began to care for additional monkeys that needed permanent placement. The sanctuary quickly grew to meet the demand for quality homes and was formally registered as a nonprofit organization in 1998.
In 2018, the organization’s name was
changed to Oklahoma Primate Sanctuary to better reflect the nature of the work and to enhance recognition of the mission.
Monkeys Belong in the Wild, Not in People’s Homes
Monkeys evolved to live in highly social groups of other monkeys and range over large areas. Given proper care, some species can live as long as 40 years. No matter how much they look like people, monkeys are wild animals. Because of that, as they get older, their behavior is unpredictable and dangerous for human owners, who often resort to caging them, chaining them, or removing their teeth.
Danny Girl, a 15-year-old tantalus monkey, was surrendered to OPS more than four years ago. She was originally bought as a baby by someone seeking a pet. One day Danny bit her owner (no fault of Danny Girl because she is not a domesticated animal), and her owner thought filing Danny’s canine teeth down might prevent another bite. The procedure exposed the tooth pulp, causing extreme pain. After a death in the family, Danny was turned over to the Oklahoma Primate Sanctuary for proper care and to live the rest of her life in a more appropriate setting.
Prince, an eight-year-old rhesus macaque, was raised in a private home in Texas as an emotional-support animal. As he matured, he became overly aggressive with some members of his household. His owner made the difficult decision to rehome Prince at OPS. Because of the pandemic (monkeys can contract COVID too), Prince had to undergo an extensive quarantine. The initial transition was stressful for him, but the young rhesus boy is now thriving in an outside introduction enclosure where he can see and communicate with other monkeys vocally and visually.
Although Prince has never been around other monkeys, he is settling in nicely and pays close attention to what the others are doing and how they behave. This is one more step in the process to help him get to the point that he can socialize with other monkeys and live a more normal life.
Retirement from Research
No one can tell from looking at him now, but there was a time when the future for Bugg, an adult long-tailed macaque, looked very bleak. He was one of 55 long-tailed macaques that were used for pharmaceutical testing by the now bankrupt AniClin Laboratories in New Jersey. Bugg’s life hung in the balance as the bank and the laboratory went back and forth in negotiations. Then suddenly the doors were shut, leaving the monkeys and more than 100 beagles trapped inside with no one to care for them. Finally, a court order was issued, releasing the beagles and macaques to welfare organizations and sanctuaries.
Eight of those macaques, including Bugg, were accepted at OPS. Because they had all been housed individually at the lab, they needed time to develop their social skills and physical conditioning. Today they all live in socially compatible groups outdoors, where they enjoy a stimulating and enriched environment.
Forty percent of the primates currently at OPS are retired from laboratories, according to Tim Ajax, OPS executive director.
“We are grateful that these animals were given the chance to retire to a sanctuary and happy to provide a caring home for them when space allows. Most of the over 75,000 monkeys utilized in research are put into other protocols or humanely killed at the conclusion of the laboratory testing in which they were involved,” states Ajax.
“It is becoming more widely acknowledged that many tests that in the past were routinely conducted with animals are now being replaced by more sophisticated methods that use human cells, tissues, and organs that more accurately mimic how the human body will respond to drugs, chemicals, or treatments. These technologies are better for both animals and humans because they are typically faster, less expensive, and more accurate than many of the outdated animal experiments that have been used for decades. OPS welcomes such advances in scientific research.”
Oklahoma Animal-Cruelty Case
In April 2021, the sanctuary welcomed a new and unique resident species to its care by assisting in the emergency placement of 17 lemurs from a roadside zoo in Norman, where law-enforcement officials seized more than 300 exotic animals from deplorable conditions. The lemurs were suffering from varying degrees of frostbite and malnourishment. With the combined care of OPS veterinarians and staff, all 17 lemurs are now thriving. Twelve ringtailed lemurs and a brown lemur remained with OPS, and the other lemurs were placed with another accredited sanctuary in Texas.
Lemurs are critically endangered primates because of habitat loss in their native Madagascar and are technically not considered monkeys but primitive primates called prosimians. McGee, Brooks, Norman, and the other lemurs are doing well and now enjoy quality time with their companions.
As we celebrate the lives of the many primates that have been positively transformed since the inception of the sanctuary, the OPS staff is looking forward to being of service for many more years and is incredibly thankful for all the supporters in Oklahoma and throughout the United States.
If you would like to learn more about the work of Oklahoma Primate Sanctuary or make a donation, you can visit okprimates.org.
