By Fallon Mullen – Animal Care Manager
Patience is one of the most important things we practice every single day—and one of the most important things our residents teach us. Being an animal caregiver is extremely rewarding, but not always easy. The best caregivers remain patient, calm, and resilient, ensuring each monkey’s welfare always comes first. Patience allows caregivers to move at the animal’s pace—sometimes taking weeks or even years for a monkey to feel safe enough to fully engage.
Many of the monkeys who come to a sanctuary haven’t had easy beginnings. Some arrive unsure of their surroundings, hesitant to trust, or still learning what it means to simply be a monkey. Because of that, progress doesn’t follow a timeline—and that’s okay. One of the best examples of learning to “be a monkey” is Junior. During his first year at Primates Inc., he spent much of his time in awe of others like him—quietly observing their behavior and building his confidence. Today, Junior has had two successful pairings, spending his days grooming, playing, and enjoying companionship, and his nights cuddled up with a groupmate.
Patience means allowing each individual to move at their own pace. For some, that might look like slowly choosing to sit closer to a caregiver. For others, it might be learning how to interact with a new troop member, or feeling confident enough to explore something unfamiliar. These moments may seem small, but they are meaningful steps forward. Our newest arrival, Gizmo, has been learning to trust his caregivers, the new daily routine (although he still thinks he should be fed first hehe), initiate play with Jojo, and respect Bella as the matriarch she is.
It also plays a big role in social dynamics. Building relationships between monkeys takes time, observation, and care. Rushing introductions can create stress and danger, while patience allows bonds to form naturally and safely. Whenever there is a group dynamic change, our team works patiently and carefully to observe social interactions between other monkey residents. It can be a time-consuming process before an official decision is made to attempt a new pairing or grouping.
The same is true for enrichment and learning. Not every monkey immediately understands a puzzle feeder or new activity. With time, encouragement, and repeated exposure, curiosity grows, confidence builds, and new skills emerge. Enrichment is extremely important to mimic wild counterparts, increase mental stimulation, and decrease disengagement. We have many monkey residents who quickly master enrichment, while others take a bit more time to catch on. Batman is our enrichment overachiever—if there’s a puzzle to solve, he’s already three steps ahead. Bella, on the other hand, prefers to keep things tidy and will politely opt out of anything messy—getting her hands dirty is simply not her style! And then there’s Izzle. In the past, he struggled with more complex enrichment devices and would become frustrated quickly. Now, Izzle has caught on and even enjoys many of our existing—and new (!)—enrichment activities.
Patience is also essential in moments we don’t always see—during recovery, rehabilitation, and quiet observation. It’s in the choice to wait, to listen, and to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting quickly. Monkeys and caregivers alike both give and receive patience—especially during times of injury, illness, social changes, or shifts in appetite…the list could go on. Much like humans, monkeys have individual preferences, emotions, and unique ways of responding when they don’t feel well. This can mean trying different approaches to medication multiple times, patiently offering a variety of foods to see what someone is willing to eat that day, and always respecting boundaries. In a sanctuary setting, the freedom of choice is incredibly important—and that often goes hand in hand with patience.
At a sanctuary, patience isn’t about standing still—it’s about creating space for growth to happen in its own time. We’ve seen many residents experience incredible growth over the years, and Timon is a wonderful example of that. Affectionately known by staff and volunteers as “sweet Timon,” he has always been recognized for his gentle, timid nature. He’s long been a submissive groupmate to Batman—patiently waiting while Batman receives his goodies first (or risking a mild chase otherwise!).
Despite this, Batman and Timon have always shared a strong bond—co-grooming, spending time close together, cuddling at night, and simply enjoying sanctuary life side by side. Over the past year, though, Timon has grown noticeably more confident. He’s become a bit more vocal with neighboring monkeys, proudly announcing himself as the boss, stepping in alongside Batman during his enrichment “mastery” moments, and waiting right up front for his share of food.
While he’ll always be our “sweet Timon,” some of us like to joke that he’s become the perfect Robin to Batman—still gentle at heart, but a little braver and bolder than before.
And more often than not, when we give that time freely, we’re rewarded with something incredibly special: trust, connection, and the chance to watch each monkey truly thrive, like Timon – aka Robin! ;-)
Sweet Timon loves sweet corn!
Here is a “recipe” for you that is inspired by all the fresh produce we give the monkeys!
Texas Caviar (how Fallon makes it)
Ingredients
-1 can Green Giant Shoepeg corn
-1 can corn
-1 can black beans
-1 can pimentos
-1 small green pepper sliced
-1 small red onion sliced
-1 avocado sliced
-2 Roma sliced
-Sauce: 2/3c sugar, 1/2c vegetable oil, 1/2c cider vinegar, salt
-Fresh cilantro
-1 bag of tortilla chips
Directions
1. Combine corn → tomatoes in a large bowl
2. Boil for 2 minutes: 2/3 c sugar, oil, vinegar, salt and pour over
3. Sprinkle cilantro on top
4. Dip tortilla chips and enjoy!
(Additional options to add to your recipe)
-Green chiles
-Red bell pepper
-Jalapeno chile pepper
-Red wine vinegar
-Fresh parsley
-Garlic 3 cloves (minced)
-Dash hot sauce
-1 can black eyed peas
-Lime juice
-Ground cumin