By Founder, Amy Kerwin
When planning the sanctuary, I turned to veterinarians to approve natural diets for the future monkey residents. Following is the story of how we formulated what I call The Monkey Diet, which has helped the sanctuary residents–and me too!
While I was in college, I worked in a laboratory building that housed over 400 rhesus monkeys. The animal care staff fed them monkey chow in the morning and a piece of fruit in the afternoon. I noticed some of the monkeys were overweight but I couldn’t figure out why because the diet didn’t seem calorie dense. I learned in biochemistry that a person who takes in more calories than their body burns off throughout the day will gain weight. I hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but I realized that the rhesus monkeys in the lab didn’t have the opportunity to exercise, and they ate all of their monkey chow in one sitting.
While I advocated for ways to get the monkeys in the lab more exercise and opportunities for enrichment, my efforts ultimately failed. These monkeys were so intelligent, and each had a unique personality. I knew I needed to do something more. This is when I decided to start Primates Incorporated, a nonprofit sanctuary that would help monkeys from labs and the pet trade. However, no matter how hard I tried to make the case, lab management was against sending the monkeys to sanctuary. So, I resigned to work with other labs who did want to send their monkeys to a sanctuary like Primates Incorporated. The sanctuary is located in Westfield, WI and is currently home to 12 monkeys from the pet trade and laboratories.
The Sanctuary Diet
One of the tasks ahead of me when I first opened the sanctuary was to formulate a proper diet for the monkey residents. I worked with the sanctuary staff and veterinarians to develop a diet that involved converting two thirds of the calories that monkeys get from monkey chow—standard in a lab diet—into calories from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, which simulated the kinds of foods they would eat in the wild. I also advocated for them to get fed throughout the day so they wouldn’t eat everything in one sitting. Each monkey receives four fruits and vegetables in the morning and at night, along with seeds scatter, enrichment with nuts, and greens throughout the day. In addition to a natural diet, the monkeys were also provided larger living areas and opportunities to run and play. They can travel between multiple enclosures, which simulates traveling and foraging in the wild.
Founder’s Diet
For years, I ignored my own health. By age 47 I developed an unhealthy habit of overeating and slowly gained weight over the years. I tried different diets and lost some weight, only to gain it back. I like to tackle and overcome challenges, so this past year I decided to tackle my own health and weight challenges!
This year is going to be different.
I took all of the dieting concepts I learned over the years, combined them with the diet formulation for the monkeys, and added in exercise to simulate the “traveling” the monkeys do. So far, I have lost 30 lbs. in three months. I have called my diet The Monkey Diet, and I look forward to sharing more of my journey while raising funds for the monkeys. Follow me on X @themonkeydiet where I’ll share my experiences.
I donate my time to help the monkeys and walk on my breaks at work.
I am taking pictures of my daily journeys and I am reminded who it is for.
Please donate to help the monkeys residents at primatesinc.com. Thank you!