Monkey Business
Do you want to see something that will melt your heart?
Make sure you switch your TV over to the Community Channel (in the UK) this Sunday night (September 27, 2015) at 6pm for a very special documentary that will make you want to rush to Mexico to cuddle a rescued monkey.
My friend Wendy Turner Webster recently teamed up with Julie Peasgood for a trip to Mexico in order to visit a sanctuary for spider monkeys rescued from the pet trade.
This is what the resulting documentary, Monkey Business, has in store for viewers:
In Wendy & Julie’s Monkey Business, the intrepid duo fly from London to Cancun in Mexico to visit The Jungle Place – a sanctuary dedicated to the rescue of the endangered Spider Monkeys who are victims of the illegal pet trade, poaching, and habitat destruction.
The Jungle Place is a sustainable charity and has the endorsement of the Born Free Foundation. It is run by Heidi and Joel – a couple who have dedicated their lives to the setting up and running of the sanctuary.
In the programme, Wendy & Julie meet the residents and learn of their stories, and find out how Heidi and Joel went from casual holiday makers to spider monkey rescuers and renowned experts.
The documentary debuts this Sunday night. Make sure you tune in for a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of compassion. Community Channel can be found at Freeview 63, Freeview HD 109, Sky 539, Virgin 233 and freesat 651. Look for other platform screenings soon.
Like Monkey Business on Facebook and read more about The Jungle Place here.
Monkey Business featured in Hello magazine
Extra note: Covent Garden bar and restaurant Joe Allen has generously created a vegan-friendly ‘Spider Monkey’ Cocktail and is donating £1 to The Jungle Place for each drink sold. Stop in for a drink if you feel like helping the spider monkeys in a unique way!
Do you know its still legal to keep primates as pets in the UK? The trade in small monkeys, particularly south American species like cappuchins, marmosets and tamarins is rampant, and absolutely devastating. If you’re interested I recommend checking out Wild Futures in Cornwall, they run an excellent sanctuary for rescued pet primates and also campaign to make keeping pet primates illegal. http://www.wildfutures.org/