story book farm primate sanctuary

this summer i had the absolute pleasure to be invited to Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, a privately owned sanctuary that provides a safe and permanent home for primates retiring from biomedical research, zoos, universities and private residences. they provide enrichment programs for the primates to help combat boredom.

Story Book survives on the amazing care, passion and hard work of Sherri Delaney, her amazing volunteers and public donations. thank you sherri for your generosity, giving me the entire tour of the operation (even though it is closed to the public, for obvious reasons). i was blown away at the amount of work involved to keep the place clean and organized, in order to keep the animals happy. i felt especially lucky to witness dinner time. i was blown away how good these animals eat…they are so loved!

sherri also taught me everything i needed to know about the behaviour of each primate and how to act accordingly around them. i made the rookie mistake of smiling at one of the macaques and i deeply offended him…sorry julian! i learned to give the lip pucker back to george, one of the spider monkeys, when he gave it to me. i learned that pockets, the capuchin, is a crafty and quick little guy. i learned not to give eye contact to sweet pea, one of the olive baboons. i learned that i will walk away with untied shoelaces if i stand too close to the cage of mr. jenkins’ (another spider monkey). i learned that the marmosets love to eat live crickets (and i witnessed it firsthand at snack time). i learned that the lemurs are flight animals and when they are afraid they runaway, rather than challenging you.

i have to say one of the highlights of my day was going in the lemur cages. i got to hand-feed them grapes! amazing! i can’t believe i got to do that! what a dream come true for an animal lover! thank you sherri!

as a thank you from me, i have donated two 16×20 prints of images i took from my visit to the silent art auction they are holding this Saturday September 25, 2010 at jersey studios in toronto. to see the images i chose, along with the other works from other talented and generous artists click here. for more info about the event, please check out the Silent Art Auction For Primates Facebook invite. i hope the evening is a success!

if you are unable to attend the event, they are always in need of your donations. not only monetary, but there is a list of everyday items they are always in need of: soft toys, blankets, balls, fencing, fire hoses, tires, ropes, hay & straw, shovels, brooms, cleaning supplies; as well as almost every single food item: dry goods, non-citrus fruit, vegetables (except peppers), nuts (especially ones in shells). for a complete wish list or to send a donation through paypal, please visit here .

not only are there primates at Story Book, but also 2 horses, a donkey, a llama, 5 goats, 5 dogs and a cat. i am smitten with the entire menagerie!

enjoy this slideshow of the many beautiful faces i met that day:

The Beautiful Faces of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary from Marcia Leeder Photography on Vimeo. ‘Funny Face’ performed by Ella Fitzgerald