mindys storymindys story
Before I became involved in building a primate safe place, or sanctuary for primates, I had a private sanctuary of my own. By word of mouth I was contacted about primates that needed homes-some I rescued, others I could not for lack of space, etc. Mindy was a Rhesus Macaque, age unknown. I tried to trace her life pattern, naturally it was a trail of abuse, neglect, ignorance, greed. Most are. Mindy had severe health problems, all internal and since I cannot change what occured to make them I will not go into details.It is enough to say she was a brave monkey until the end of her life with me. That was 5 years. Mindy was from as far as I could find out, first a research monkey. How she got there is unknown to me. She was used, and sold to an animal dealer. The monkey was carted on the back of a truck and taken to exotic animal auctions to try and be sold, or traded for some other form of exotic.Seems she was sold as a family pet to some misguided individual. The child in the family of the purchaser was some how either scratched, bitten, or frightened by the primate. Mindy ended up in a quarantine. Since her health papers (thankfully for her)were in order, she was not euthanized but sold once again to another animal trader. This is where I enter the picture. The person who donated Mindy to me, was owed money by the trader and the monkey was taken in as payment, given to me. From the day Mindy arrived, there was a special bond she had for me. She acted as tho she had always known me, or was for ever, looking for me. Perhaps because I was probably the first human contact that was good to her and she felt my deep sympathy for all she must have endured in life.When I went in to clean her cage, she would rush to me, hug me in mid-air, drop to the flloor and run to a corner to sit. I assumed the caretakers in her life had taught her to go to a corner upon their entry to her confinement.Before long I could get her to stay on her shelf or wherever she happened to be and I would hug her and tell her what a sweet girl she was. She would not tolerate me hugging her too long as she was still afraid of entrapment, being held. Mindy died of unknown causes almost 2 years ago. I figure she had a stroke of some kind. I went to give her a treat one afternoon and she was not outside in the sun as she usually was. I called her and she came out dragging her hind quarters. She was coming to me no matter how partially paralyzed or sick .I called, she responded. It almost broke my heart to see her. She tried to jump up on her outside ledge and just sat for a moment, turned and dragged herself back into her shelter house. I went in and sat with her until I could no longer endure watching her. The end was not soft for her and altho I knew she was in a semi-coma I could hardly stand it. This leads me to one thing to say to the human population. This animal loved me with all her primative heart, her intelligence was remarkable. How can we justify our greed and macho need to dominate and ultimately destroy so many lives because they belong to what some call-"just an animal''.
CONTENTS:
ADORABLE !ANGELS
CAPUCHINSMacaques
MARMOSETTS
