Description of organisation

Wild Futures is a non-profit organisation, of which the Monkey Sanctuary is its flagship project. Established in 1964 as the Woolly Monkey Sanctuary by its founder Leonard Williams, the organisation has grown from a small cooperative, to a globally recognized institution. Wild Futures aims to promote the welfare and conservation of primates, by offering a home for life to primates in need of rescue and rehabilitation. In addition to its rescue work, our campaign work focuses on ending the primate pet trade and preventing the abuse of primates in captivity. We advise government agencies by writing protocols and recommendations on enforcement of legislation regarding captive primates. We educate both on-site with visitors and volunteers and off-site in schools, universities and other groups, and internationally by hosting virtual classrooms. We believe in sustainable practices, and we conserve and restore natural habitats in the UK and abroad through funding support and education. Our commitment and dedication to the welfare of captive primates earned us accreditation by the Global Federation for Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) the only institute in the EU to have received this to date. Wild Futures is also a partner and board member of EARS (European Alliance for Rescue centres and Sanctuaries), a consortium of animal welfare organisations. EARS aims to support and represent rescue centres and sanctuaries across Europe, enabling them to work together to achieve mutual animal welfare and conservation goals, by promoting continuous improvements in animal welfare, and tackling the very reasons that necessitate the existence of rescue centres and sanctuaries. The Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall hosts rescued monkeys and socialises them into more natural groups with their own kind in spacious enclosures. Many of these monkeys arrive with physical and/or psychological problems due to their experience in the pet trade. The monkeys are expertly cared for by our primate welfare team, who aim to help these abused and neglected monkeys back to a more healthy state, physically, socially and emotionally. The Sanctuary has around 40 resident monkeys from four different species, including capuchins, woolly monkeys, Barbary macaques and marmosets. The Sanctuary, which is open to the public for half the year, attracts thousands of visitors, who come to watch and learn about these animals. However, as we are an active rescue centre, some of the resident monkeys are not on public view, as their recovery takes priority. We host a wide range of activities during our open days, encouraging the public to take part in Supporters’ Day, environmental and animal welfare days, in which volunteers will also be able to assist.

Inclusion topics

This organisation is willing to involve volunteers who face situations which make their participation in activities more difficult, from the following categories for different types of project:

• Cultural differences
• Economic obstacles
• Geographical obstacles