Our Current Projects
This Section
Save Your Last Rolo-way
Our first project focuses on the
threat of palm oil to the habitat of the Roloway
monkey in West Africa. The play was designed for 7 to 9 year-olds (Year 3/4)
but has been enjoyed and understood by audiences from two and a half to
ninety! Through our play and interactive children’s workshops we present
the issue of ethical consumerism encouraging audiences to think like active
conservationists.
Roloway monkeys live in a limited range in West Africa. They have traditionally
shared their range with two other monkeys. 
These
are the Miss Waldron’s red colobus (believed to be extinct) and the
white-naped mangabey (Endangered). Over
the last 30 years the forests that these monkeys as well as many other
animals and plants live in have been cut down. Now there is only a very
small patch
in Côte d’Ivoire, called the Tanoé forest, that is still
suitable for Roloway monkeys. People are now trying to conserve this unprotected
swamp forest and to breed Roloway monkeys in captivity. To find out more
visit WAPCA's (West African Primate Conservation
Action) website.
Captive breeding is pointless if habitat is not conserved. The biggest threat to the Tanoé forest is deforestation for palm oil plantations. Palm oil is in many products on sale in the West. By being careful about what we buy, we can show that we do not want to cause a species to become extinct. Choosing palm oil-free products is like choosing organic, fair trade, pole and line caught tuna or free-range eggs. See the action section for tips on how to be a responsible consumer and help these beautiful monkeys survive. For further information see our references page.
Muna the Monkey
In 2012 we developed a new piece in collaboration with BMCRif (Barbary Macaque Conservation in the Rif) with the support of the PSGB (Primate Society of Great Britain) and Wild Futures. This piece premiered at Beale Park on the 30th August 2012 and then travelled to The Monkey Sanctuary in late September. An alternative version of the show (called Teshta the Monkey) will travel to Morocco in May 2013. The piece has been designed to appeal to audiences of different ages and from different countries.
In
Europe including the UK the keeping of primates as pets is on the rise.
People keep them with little thought of the welfare of the individual or
the wild population. These individuals are often taken from the wild in
countries like Morocco. They are then sold in the market or smuggled out
of the country to sell in European countries. People buy them on holiday
and bring them home while they are babies and cute but they grow up. Adult
macaques have large teeth and when they begin to reach sexual maturity they
often become very aggressive particularly when they have none of their own
kind to interact with.
No human can provide the things that a monkey needs to be happy. 
They do
not have their families and they cannot be returned to them. They live
in large groups and range over large areas. The foods they would find for
themselves
cannot be replicated. Many
people realise that they cannot look after their monkeys after the damage
has been done. They have been removed from their families and many have
severe psychological and physical problems. They then either are abandoned
in parks or woods and some are picked up by animal charities. There are
very limited places for them in captivity and so they are often put to
sleep.
Please visit BMCRif's website to learn
more about Barbary macaques in Morocco and Wild
Futures for primate pet trade in general
