| About
Us & Our History
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International Primate Rescue,
started life as the Marmoset Welfare Foundation in March
1996 in South Africa, where founder Sue Gale had been
caring for primates since 1990. Fascinated by the
strange and unstable behaviour patterns of a Common Marmoset
monkey named "Meggie", she was prompted to study
behavioural problems and other disorders in captive and/or
orphaned nonhuman primates. |
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A high percentage of hand-reared monkeys develop
unstable behaviour patterns when the reach maturity and become a problem for their
owners. The sanctuary, the first of its kind in South
Africa, received its first monkey, an eight-month old Common
Marmoset named "Cheeky", in April 1996. After
a report on national TV in South Africa, the sanctuary was
inundated with requests to receive problem monkeys; by September
2001 it was obliged to relocate to a larger property in order
to accommodate the swelling numbers of Common and Black-eared
Marmosets, Tamarins and Squirrel Monkeys. In December
2001 IPR was approached to help in the rescue of a badly abused
Patas Monkey in Israel: Iris became the first
international rescue case and was flown from Israel to the
sanctuary in South Africa in February 2002. The rescue
was widely reported, and IPR has since received numerous requests
to assist in international rescues.
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IPR (which
adopted its present name in October 2001) has often featured
in the South African media. Sue Gale has been invited
to speak on behavioural problems and other disorders in
nonhuman primates at international conferences and has
been the subject of radio interviews in Denmark, the UK
and South Africa. She has written on these subjects
for primate groups in the US and animal welfare groups
in South Africa.
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IPR is currently seeking funds to expand the sanctuary further and formed a board of trustees in the UK in February 2006. Following UK charity registration, the british board of trustees will recruit and manage volunteer fund raisers in England to help fund the South African sanctuary expansions. IPR intends to purchase a 20 hectare property in South Africa on which to build more primate enclosures and a training centre for local and international volunteers, gap year adults and students in the field of primate behaviour.
IPR supporters in America and the Netherlands are involved in fund raising activities to help fund the purchase of a new property.
IPR is registered as a non profit organisation in South Africa and is working towards UK and US charity status.
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If
you need help with your pet primate, please email
sue@iprescue.org
You will be treated with respect and understanding.
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