TRUST – A Recipe For Sanctuary
By Breanne Cyr – Primate Behavior Specialist
Trust. It’s a concept that must be earned, and one that becomes a core foundation of sanctuary work. Trust is essential for physical health, psychological wellbeing, and long-term welfare and stability. It’s what makes sanctuaries successful in achieving a safe, comfortable and positive refuge for animals regardless of the challenges they face or their background.
Regardless of where a monkey comes from or what their background is prior to arriving at the sanctuary, it is natural for that monkey to arrive fearful and uncertain about their new surroundings, new schedule, and whom they can trust. They may associate humans with fear, confinement or harm. They may have had limited space or control over their environment, or experienced prolonged uncertainty about what was happening or whom they could rely on. Monkeys are highly intelligent, socially complex animals. They retain strong memories and generally assess risk based on past experiences.
For example, pet monkeys are often taken from their mothers too early and they miss out on the natural critical components of infancy that their monkey mothers and peers would provide to promote security and normal behavior development. Some may have even been taken from the wild and watched their mothers or troop members be hurt or killed by humans who took the babies to sell as pets. On top of that, many humans are unfamiliar with the nuances of monkey behavior/communication and they tend to misinterpret monkeys’ communication or respond inappropriately. Sometimes, humans expect that monkeys can be trained to be like a child or a dog, but this ignores the fact that monkeys are wild animals with wild instincts that cannot be trained out of them.
When monkeys arrive to the sanctuary, they face many new uncertainties. Can they trust that these humans will always be kind to them? Can they trust that they are safe? Can they trust that their next meal will be served to them and they will not go hungry? In turn, human caregivers also gain trust and connection with each monkey such that the relationship becomes a meaningful bond.
Monkeys who do not trust their caregivers may be aggressive, withdrawn, or exhibit abnormal behaviors. The chronic stress they experience may also lead to physical health problems. Trust allows monkeys to feel secure enough to engage in natural behaviors such as grooming, play, exploration, and social interaction – all of which are key indicators of welfare.
Earning trust in a monkey sanctuary is a gradual process. First, caregivers build trust through consistency and predictability. Monkeys, along with many other primates – even many humans – thrive on routine. Monkeys learn to trust when caregivers behave in reliable ways—arriving at the same time each day, following familiar routines, and responding calmly to challenging situations. Consistency helps monkeys understand what to expect, reducing anxiety and allowing them to feel more in control of their environment.
At Primates Inc., for example, the monkeys know that the morning will start with a vitamin and/or meds and a scatter of small food items – usually seeds – followed by breakfast and daily cleaning. Around noon, they start to remind us that it’s time for their enrichment/snack. The day then continues in a predictable way for things such as feeding and coming inside for the day. Meanwhile, each day, we introduce novel and interesting enrichment or experiences that monkeys can choose to participate in.
Giving monkeys as much control over their daily lives as possible is also important to gaining their trust. By empowering them to do what they want to do rather than us dictating what they must do, they learn that they have agency and that we respect their boundaries. We do not force interaction or demand compliance. Instead, we allow monkeys to choose whether they want to engage and when they want to engage. If a monkey is anxious or wants more distance from a caregiver, we will walk away and respect that monkey’s wishes. We avoid direct eye contact, which can be seen as threatening. Conversely, if a monkey initiates engagement with us, such as when Mars asks to be groomed with a backscratcher, we try to honor his requests. Over time, these respectful interactions teach monkeys that humans are not a threat and that we will honor their boundaries.
Positive interactions and positive reinforcement (such as with positive reinforcement training – PRT) strengthen bonds and trust through our relationships. One on one interactions with the monkeys strengthen the sense of connection between caregivers, which is positive for both monkeys and caregivers. Some monkeys, especially former pet monkeys, crave that human connection even after integrating with other monkeys for a more natural life. For example, I’ve noticed that Junior’s anxiety seems to decrease and that he has a better appetite after I’ve done a session of PRT or after I’ve groomed him using a backscratcher. When monkeys learn that human presence consistently leads to good experiences—without punishment or coercion—trust deepens naturally.
Trust is important not only for psychological wellbeing, but for practical and medical reasons as well. As much as possible, we try to build trust through positive interactions and PRT to help us do routine health checks and treat illness or injury by using cooperation rather than force. Monkeys that trust their caregivers are more likely to approach voluntarily and accept medical interventions with minimal restraint, which reduces stress for the monkeys (and staff).
Empathy and emotional awareness further strengthen trust. As qualified sanctuary staff, we learn to read species-specific body language and individual personalities. Through our individual interactions and learning individual monkeys’ temperaments and quirks, we can observe subtle changes in behavior that signal illness or distress. We also address any signs of stress, fear, or overstimulation wherever we can by adjusting or improving the environment or responding to individual monkeys’ needs. This sensitivity communicates safety and understanding, reinforcing the human-animal bond.
When I think of trust at Primates Inc, a prominent example that comes to mind is Izzle and his transformation into trusting us. When he first arrived, he did not trust us; he would constantly aggressively rush toward us, shake his enclosure, and “bark” (a monkey short, sharp, low-pitched call to show intimidation). He would only look at us using his mirrors, and he would frequently fear grimace toward us if we looked in his direction. Now, I can sit side-by-side (with the enclosure bars between us, as always, for safety) and calmly interact with him. In fact, he seems to look forward to it. Although he is large and occasionally reminds us that we’re in HIS house, he will take small treats from my hand during PRT sessions more gently than almost everyone else.
In monkey sanctuaries, trust is about partnership. When trust exists, monkeys are better able to heal from prior negative experiences, form healthy social relationships, and live enriched lives that reflect their natural behaviors. Caregivers, in turn, are able to provide compassionate, effective care rooted in respect rather than dominance. Ultimately, trust transforms sanctuaries from places of refuge into environments of true recovery and dignity.
Izzle loves to eat leafy greens!
Here is a healthy “recipe” for you that is inspired by all the fresh produce we give the monkeys!
Recipe: Cranberry Apple Candied Walnut Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
▢ 6 cups salad (any spring green mix will do)
▢ 1 red apple
▢ 1 green apple
▢ 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
▢ ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
▢ ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Dressing
- ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
- ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper finely ground
- ▢ 1 large garlic clove minced
- ▢ 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- ▢ 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Candied Walnuts (optional)
▢ 1 cup walnut halves
▢ 1 tablespoon butter
▢ ¼ cup sugar
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Salad: Core and chop apples (thin slices or 1 inch chunks). Toss lettuce, apples, walnuts, feta (if using), and cranberries together in a large bowl.
Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.
Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving. Enjoy!
Candied Walnuts: Line a baking sheet with greased parchment or a nonstick baking mat. In a medium nonstick pan over medium heat, melt butter and sugar.
Once butter is melted, stir in the walnuts, salt, and cinnamon. Continue to stir until walnuts are well coated. Remove from heat and immediately spread walnuts out in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.