December 06 + January 07 - Catch up on news and events from the past two months.
   
  We're back!
Finally, we have caught up with baby season and are able to produce another newsletter with photos of the orphans, an update on Skunkey, the one year olds and Goliath. Thank you to all those volunteers who were here helping during 2006, it was a great year and a lot was achieved – more to come in the next newsletter.

Just one re-cap from 2006, we were struck by a big fire at the Foundation and I’m sure there’s a few volunteers that remember fighting these fires last October. Hilde has written an article on her experience below.
Fire
   
  Monday 16 October 2006 – Fire at the VMF
My stay at the VMF turned out to be an experience in every respect!! Besides taking care
of the baby monkeys – which for me was life changing - I also learned how to fight a bush fire. Since we don’t have all that much green left, I guess most of the people here in Belgium hardly experience a bush fire during a lifetime.

To me, fire breaks and backfires were completely unknown according to my notions
(I know them now though) until… this particular Monday, October 16, where nobody was planned on the rota to go and do “fire watch”. A fire seemed very unlikely that day… but then… it all started – around 12:30, as I sat in the kitchen eating my cheese and veggie roll lunch, Mike ran in saying there was a big fire nearby... Everybody in the house ran out and we saw smoke coming from behind the bee-farm. At that time nobody just knew how to decide whether the fire was a controlled one or not … (well, I didn’t for sure!). And, it certainly wasn’t the bee-farm burning their wax as a bit later it definitely turned out to be
a serious bush fire.

It was kind of scary when we went up the hill to have a look and actually heard the crackling fire come closer. We were asked to get water - loads of water - to carry it running all the way up the hill. Arthur and Sammy did a great job getting everything and everybody organized. The fire made its way up the hill but also further down the road, where it seriously hit a varnish factory and several other buildings.

Because we had already used a lot of water and were close to running out, we decided
to go and collect water at the dam. Only, the way to the dam was on fire too… so the intentions were good but the truck had to come back without success… After that we experienced that bottled drinking water seemed to be an expensive but a great fire extinguisher too!! When the fire seemed to be more or less under control we suddenly saw smoke coming from behind the house, behind the Goliath enclosure… And so, off
we were again running back and forth with water. Around 4PM everything really seemed
to be under control and I sat in the house, writing my fire experience down in an e-mail to friends and family. Suddenly I heard a call on the radio saying the fire had flared up again on top of the mountain and at our side of the hill. One last time we all ran up the hill,
broke branches off the trees and tried to extinguish the fire by beating the flames.

I can assure it was quite an exciting afternoon but one where I never really felt afraid and never really worried about myself. It might sound stupid but the only 2 things I wanted to
be safe were my passport (for a safe (?) trip back home) and my camera - I couldn’t really care about the rest. What I did worry about were all those gorgeous monkeys and what if the fire – in spite of the fire breaks - really would have hit the foundation.

Hilde Olbrechts 10/11/2006
A big thank you to all those volunteers who were involved with fire breaks and fire watch during fire season last year. Without the fire breaks, it could have been disastrous so it just shows what an important job you were all doing to protect the monkeys and the foundation. – Josie
  Sick Bay: New photo
 
   
  Baby care centre update by Jackson
I've just left my enclosure in baby care where I work with Felix, Amber, Almond, Monk,Jaspar, Honeybear, Pixie and Forest. With the exception of the last three named guys, I've worked with all the others since they were about three or four months old. Almond was a late arrival and rocked up when he was already a year old, having
been kept as a pet by people who should have known better but didn't.

For the first three months he was here, he clung to and refused to be parted from his human carers. When he finally jumped down onto terra firma, a huge cheer went up from the entire Sanctuary, and the legend that is Almond was born! He is an exceptionally beautiful monkey, with large eyes the colour of soft brown sugar, the best set of teeth in the Sanctuary (and that includes the humans) and a smile to die for. He jumped onto my lap this morning and opened his mouth in a huge grin to signal that it was play time.
This involves my blowing into his mouth which causes him to chuckle so hard his shoulders shake, and I have to admit I become helpless with laughter myself. Should I turn my head away for any reason, he immediately reaches out and turns me back to face him which causes me to fall about laughing at his total determination to have my undivided attention until he decides he's had enough and it's time for his nap. He then tucks his head under my chin, puts his arms around my neck and still grinning falls into
a contented slumber.

He is then joined by Amber who elbows him out of the way and dives down my top, and Felix who crash lands on my head, prior to sliding down the side of my face to begin meticulously grooming my eyelashes until all trace of the previous nights mascara have been removed. Satisfied with the results of her labours, she too slips into sleep and as I look down to see Amber's tiny face peeping out of my top, Almond still grinning as he dreams about enchanted forests and Felix tucked into the crook of my arm, I experience one of those magic moments, which all of us who have the privilege of working with
these remarkable beings will understand. So, I send love to all of you from all of us and trust you are as well and happy as me and my guys.

Jackson x
   
  Goliath Enclosure

"Tigger is a golden, fluffy, robust young man with features that make him look like he should be sitting in a rocking chair with a gown, pipe and slippers to accompany."
Firstly lets begin by introducing 3 beautiful new members of Goliath; Deahl, Tiny and Tigger who arrived a couple of weeks ago and range between the ages of one and a
half to three and now reside in Goliath B. To briefly describe them all, Deahl is a beautiful temepered golden girl with fingers that work magic on your scalp when grooming; Tiny, who is a little bit more on the timid side, is a cute and cheeky little girl and seems to only require your attention when, after picking an argument with the troop, she feels the need for some quick backup; and lastly Tigger who is a golden, fluffy, robust young man with features that make him look like he should be sitting in a rocking chair with a gown, pipe and slippers to accompany.

All three are doing extremely well and will hopefully start going out in to the enclosure
in a month or so. The troop also have a further addition with Wilma delivering a beautiful healthy baby boy in December, and one can't help but laugh watching chubby little Schlinky waddling along carrying the baby strapped to her belly almost as big as her. Apart from that we have had continual excitement with the bandit troop who have enjoyed playing silly billys with us and jumping in and out of the enclosure, with one big male getting quite comfortable and staying for a good couple of days - much to Halo's joy who it seems may have a slight crush! Finally Grape is still enjoying her time in the enclosure and last week for the first time actually interacted and played with the troop - there is hope that she may be fully integrated in anticipation of the next newsletter.

Vicky Ogilvie
 
Skunkey News
Gift Aid Here

B1 explore the main Skunkey enclosure

It has been a busy time in Skunkey since the last newsletter, we’ve had some new arrivals, some births, and everyone is growing up very fast. A group of 5 juniors arrived recently, Jake, Jingle, Forest, Pixie and Honey Bear. Honey Bear, Pixie and Forest are staying in Baby Care Centre at the moment; Forest is about
3 years old but we are keeping him there for the time being as he is almost entirely blind
so we want to let him adjust to his new surroundings before moving him to a cage with the electric fence.

The integration in the enclosure is going very well, Elf’s group of one year olds are almost ready to live in the enclosure permanently.

Hopefully by the next newsletter we will be able to send photos of them living out there. For this month, here is a photo of them on one of their recent afternoon outings in the main Skunkey Enclosure.

Everyone in the enclosure is getting very big, especially the four year olds, Spock, Spirit et al, who are all starting to get their adult teeth and attitudes. Big Boy is still the undisputed alpha male of the enclosure, but I can see that this may change in the next year, so it will be very interesting watching them all sorting out their positions in the hierarchy.

Baby season is in full swing now and we have started introducing some of the older babies to surrogate mums from Skunkey troop. Twiglet has bonded to Angela and Remember, one of the more recent arrivals has bonded to Hawk. They are both doing very well and loving life with their new mums.

Lorna Wilkie
Gift Aid Here

Spock - Quite a change from 4 years ago!

  Facebook
Isabel Rennie aka ‘Izzy’ has set up a group for the Vervet Monkey Foundation on
facebook where volunteers can chat to each other and post topics.

The address is www.facebook.com

There are already 47 members so you may know some familiar faces.
 
 
Photos from the last few months
Here are a few photos from the last few months. The three below are called Acorn, Innocence and Vibrance. Skunkey also makes an apperance below. He is currently in a Goliath introduction enclosure and still a fave among volunteers.
 

Welcome to our new arrivals in Dec/Jan:

Hilary Kiley, David Schoenkin, Blanka Svobodova, Heather Pearce (return), Cory Nielson (return), Debbie Marshall, Caroline Owen, Scott Stofer, Nicole Hatzkilson, Emily Jones (return), Vicky Hipkins, Nicki Lloyd, Anthony Turner, Kim Willis, Sarah Cheney, Ilka Buckley, Kim Willis, Sarah Cheney, Debi Delany, Ria Farncombe, Alex Smith, Hannah Thomas, Danijela Duric

Goodbye and thanks for the last few months:

Anna Bachmann, Anita Walther, Mary Edmonson, Liz Walsh, Gillian Smyth, Alan Daly, Jamie Tracy, Jason Buckland, Nathalie Mosfegh, Louise Palmer, Elizabeth Whittaker, Christine Williams, Patricia Callahan, Patti Croft, Nadia Bessos, Charlotte Burr, Hilde Olbrechts, Mike Meyers (return), Lisa Mallins, Gaynor Tribe, Lucy Kilkenny, Anita Jonsdottir, Klemmi Gudmundson, Jacqui Jordan, Louise Skeldon, Robyn (return), Kate Huntingdon, Ruth Huntingdon, Jenny Rhind, Marianna Olkkonen, Bruce Johnstone, Emmanuel Paul, Sebastien Paul, Michelle Gunn, Barbara Staessen, Madelaine Anstead, Selina Duignan, Philip Collins, Dean Gardiner, Rebecca Moon, David Schoenkin, Blanka Svobodova, Claudia Wintergerst, Stephanie Stewart, Marc Reynolds, Dawn Pearson (return), Emily Hughes, Bev Smith (return).

Did you know

  • Our first centre was opened by the Honourable Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs Maris Stella Mabikie.

  • A famous movie and TV star Jacqueline Pearce has
    joined our team.

    Arthur Hunt
*Note to Hotmail Live Beta users - The email version of this newsletter will not display correctly in the beta version of the new Hotmail service due to Microsoft still working on things behind the scenes.