Severa of the 29 hybrid macaques transferred from Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary explore their new home after being released into a large enclosure on Saturday, August 11th 2012. (photo courtesy of Born Free USA)
Born Free USA, an organization that deals with animal welfare and wildlife conservation has completed the largest transfer of Macaques in history. This past September marked the ending of a journey that involved transferring 112 macaques and one baboon from their former home, the defunct Wild Animal Orphange (WAO), San Antonio, Texas to their new location in Dilley, Texas. The macaques and baboon will now live out their lives in the primate sanctuary on 186 acres under the guidance of Tim Ajax, Director of the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary. With over 20 years of hands-on experience, Tim brings extensive immobilization, enrichment, animal care, and enclosure design experience to the sanctuary. Tim is a strong advocate of providing a hight quality of life for captive animals with a focus on space, companionship and enrichment which is precisely what the new members will require.
The journey for the macaques and baboon to be moved began in August 2010 when WAO was in a “do or die situation” and forced to find homes over 100 macaques, 55 tigers, 14 African lions, 16 chimpanzees, six wolf hybrids, and 20 baboons according to Born Free’s press release. Due to underfunding, overpopulation and indadquate housing, WAO made the right decision to save these animals’ lives Combining the leadership of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries of which Born is a member, sanctuaries were found to give new homes for all of the animals listed. Had Born Free not step in, the macaques would have been euthanized.
The transfer had its challenges cut out for them to accomplish this never-before-done transfer of macaque monkeys. Eight months was dedicated to building and preparing the proper facilities for their new residents. Because of social groupings among the monkeys, 12 different animal groupings, the age range- under a year old to in their ’30’s, health conditions and mental conditions as result of their captivity priot to WAO, Born Free needed to work diligently and delicately to handle this precarious situation and has!
In August 2010, WAO, was in a “do or die situation” and was forced to find homes for over 100 macaques, 55 tigers, 14 African lions, 16 chimpanzees, six wolf hybrids, and 20 baboons according to Born Free’s press release. Born Free USA worked with WAO and the Texas Attorney General to help this challenging situation. With the leadership of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries of which Born Free is a member, sancturies were found to find homes for all of the animals.
Had it not been for Born Free USA, the macaques would have been euthanized. So, what are macaques and what makes them so special?
This was not an easy task.
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/sanctuary/c4_adoption_program.php
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