MONKEY MAYHEM! | Highcliffe School

MONKEY MAYHEM!

It was business as usual for the Year 13 biologists as the ‘troop’ visited the ‘World of Monkeys’ on Tuesday, 3rd April, at the Ape Rescue Centre near Wool, Dorset.


The visit was to study Social Primate Behaviour and to talk with the Centre staff about ecology, conservation and evolution.


The day was a super conclusion to the A level course. We arrived at 10:00am and spent a couple of hours visiting numerous primates including the gibbons, Woolley monkeys, orang-utans,  chimps, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, macaque monkeys, marmosets and lemurs.


We also learned about how the centre was established and how the animals are rescued from countries across Europe and Asia. The Director, Alison Cronin, is heavily involved in conservation work and educating governments to prevent cruelty to these animals. A good example is where the UK government have been encouraged to enforce the licensing of pet primates in the UK as opposed to making this trade illegal. Animals are rescued from being exploited as photographer’s props and from experimental laboratories.  


Later in the day we conducted an ethogram study (a psychological study of social primate behaviour) on selected primates. The focus was on the behaviours exhibited by the animals e.g. grooming in the chimp groups, mother-infant bonding in the Woolley monkey enclosure, pair bonding with gibbons and vocal communication mechanisms with the gibbons.

After lunch we experienced true monkey life in the Great Ape play area looking for Easter eggs! We also renewed our adoption of Silvestre, a Sumatran orang-utan. He will form part of a world breeding programme when he grows up! At the moment he is a growing young man and will soon be involved in conservation work on this endangered species.

 

Quotes of the day!


‘Taking the day out of the intense curriculum of A2, we made a visit to Monkey World to see Silvestre (our adopted orang-utan)’ 

 

‘It was a fantastic day out and we really enjoyed going round the park.’

 

‘We loved the Easter Egg hunt in the great ape play park’


Maybe we were the ones being watched when we were in the play park!’

 

‘Monkey World was great! It was really nice to see Silvestre – who is growing up to be a very handsome young man’

 

‘As well as seeing the monkeys it was great to ‘explore’ the inner monkey in us on the climbing frames foraging for Easter Eggs!’ 


    Owned by: ldn | Last Published: 18/05/2017 08:33:05 | Next Update: N/a


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