“Gentle Junior”
By Breanne Cyr, Primate Behavior Specialist
Junior, a remarkable hybrid macaque born in 2005, arrived at Primates Incorporated sanctuary in 2021. He had spent the earlier part of his life as a pet before being surrendered to a farm for several years until he finally arrived to Primates Inc. Once he arrived at the sanctuary, he was able to see and live among other monkeys for the first time in his life. Junior quickly became one of the sanctuary’s most distinctive residents—not just because of his unique appearance, but also because of his charming and funny personality.
Junior’s life began in the pet trade, where he was bred as a “designer monkey.” His mixed lineage—part pig-tail macaque, part lion-tail macaque—was meant to produce a unique and attractive monkey. Junior certainly has a distinctive and very handsome look with his dark hair, a silvery mane around his face and a short curly tail. Unfortunately, the combination of two species not meant to interbreed may lead to unintended health consequences and may have contributed to his development of significant arthritis. Despite his reduced range of motion, Junior has adapted well to sanctuary life and remains active, curious, and full of personality!
Although Junior had never seen another monkey before his arrival at Primates Inc., he was quick to catch on to the subtleties of macaque communication and social behavior. Junior has formed a close bond with Rocky, an easy-going rhesus monkey who shares his enclosure. Junior often spends hours gently grooming Rocky, a social behavior that not only maintains hygiene but also strengthens their emotional connection. During the period that Junior had lived alone in his enclosure (initially upon sanctuary arrival and then a while later after the passing of his previous partner, Ganesha) Junior became anxious and depressed. The companionship between Junior and Rocky is a reminder of the great importance of relationships for all primates, including people!
Junior loves being outdoors, basking in the sunlight, and foraging among the grass—especially when he discovers his favorite treat: grasshoppers. His diet is diverse in veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds, but his favorite food of all is avocado. Even when he’s feeling picky, caregivers know that a ripe avocado slice will almost always win him over. Junior enjoys getting caretakers to spruce up his monkey chow (healthy protein biscuits they receive in addition to their produce), sometimes refusing to eat it unless it is doused in a combo of peanut butter and jelly or spinach and mayo (all sugar free).
One of Junior’s most charming quirks is his love for his stuffed animal, Tigger. Tigger is like a security blanket to Junior, and caregivers ensure that Tigger is always in Junior’s enclosure. In fact, caregiver Jaci was able to track down an exact replica stuffed animal of his original Tigger so that Junior has one of his Tiggers whenever the other is in the wash! None of the other variations of Tigger stuffed animals we had gotten held the same significance to Junior – trust us when we say we tried many variations! When he is indoors, Junior often sits on top of his picnic table with his Tigger stuffed animal next to him, holding onto a rope hanging from above – what we call, “ride the bus”. See the photo of Junior holding his rope to see why we call it riding the bus ;-)
Junior thrives on personal one-on-one attention with caregivers and loves to participate in Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT), which uses treats and praise to encourage cooperation and enrichment. He also enjoys painting with staff (and sometimes stealing the canvas!). He likes to communicate during training, but even aside from training, Junior has an expression that is unique to him that we call his “duck lips.” We have yet to capture the expression on camera, but it is a friendly gesture he uses where he juts his neck forward and purses his lips together forming what looks like a little duck bill. This behavior is the equivalent of our other monkey residents lip smacking.
Junior is a living testament to resilience, companionship, and individuality. Junior embodies resilience, warmth, and the special spirit that makes each resident at Primates Incorporated truly one of a kind.
