Sad Reality
Unbeknownst to many, there are many cases of baby animals being abandoned. It’s either because their mothers have been poached or were killed because of external factors such as getting run over while trying to cross the road. Unfortunately, this is the reality that these animals have to live in, and the saddest story is that most of the time, humans are the reason why they need to go through this nightmare.
Sebastian Voortman/Pexels
As humans, we were put here on this Earth for a reason. We seem to think that just because we are smarter and are capable of a million other things compared to animals, we can take for granted what Mother Nature has given to us. It’s not just in the wild that animals’ lives are affected, it also happens to domesticated dogs as well.
Animal Cruelty
When we think of animal cruelty, it pulls at our heartstrings because we think and we know deep down that this goes against the circle of life. Animals need to be respected too and just like humans, they need to love and be loved. Unfortunately, abusers think otherwise. These people live with sick mindsets that animals are nothing they should concern themselves with.
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Thankfully though, despite the odds being grim and animal cruelty still happening today, good Samaritans step up the game and advocate to save animals whether domesticated or wild. Shelters that aim to protect wildlife are growing more and more today and it’s because of these organizations that animals are rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
Special Baby
This article features a baby monkey’s fight for survival after his mother was unfortunately run over by a car. It’s very unfortunate to hear and it’s really sad that this happened but these kinds of incidents are more common than you think.
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Animals are always on the move, looking for where food is. And in places where there are paved roads close to the forest, animals have to cross to get to the other side in hopes to find more food for them and their young. And this is what exactly happened to this baby monkey.
Lost And Alone
This baby vervet was only a few weeks old when his mother got run over by a car in Zimbabwe. He was clinging on for dear life when it happened and fortunately, nothing bad happened to him. But there was one other thing, a baby monkey left to fend for himself without his mother is surely going to die.
Pixabay
The baby monkey persevered and survived the cold nights being left alone. He wouldn’t leave his mother’s side when one day, it was as if the gods had mercy on him. He was found and saved from the harsh conditions of the outside world.
Monumental Rescue
The baby monkey was losing all hope and his life seemed to be heading in the same direction as his mother’s. Being just a baby, his instincts always led him back to his mother as that was the only place he knew. The outside world is scary and big cars passing by can be very intimidating.
Maksim Goncharenok/Pexels
It wasn’t before long when something happened to him again. Out of all the many cars passing by, no one even blinked an eye. No one really cared about the baby monkey on the side of the road beside its dead mother. But thankfully, someone did.
Mercy From A Stranger
The baby monkey had braced itself for yet another mindless driver on the side of the road. It was a scary thing to see for such a small creature and it was traumatized to the bone because of what had happened to his mother.
volunteers_twala/Instagram
The car that was approaching him suddenly pulled to a stop and when they got off the car, they slowly approached the shaking monkey, careful not to spook it. He was obviously in bad shape and the people who pulled over saw that they needed to tend to the monkey right away.
To Sanctuary
Like the many other times that good Samaritans see animals in need, they go straight to people who can take care of the animal better, and in Zimbabwe, many animal sanctuaries are open for different kinds of animals. This was good news for the baby monkey.
Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary
The strangers who took him in drove straight to one of the more notable sanctuaries in the area – Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary first opened its doors to animals back in 2011 and has made a name for itself since. They were open to fostering different kinds of animals and rehabilitating them. But for this baby monkey, it was going to be a bit of a challenge.
The Only One
When the baby monkey was dropped off at the sanctuary, the animal rescue carers were shocked to see its condition. The monkey was obviously very weak and needed nutrition because he couldn’t get any what with his mother now dead.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
While this happens more often than you would imagine, the carers needed more information on his mother. Understandably so, the baby monkey was on edge when someone tried to hold or carry him. But first, he needed something very important – a name.
Horace The Vervet Monkey
In an effort to create a close bond with the monkey, they named him Horace which in Latin means “Man Of Time.” And “of time” he was. He arrived in perfect timing, just when he really needed it most and with the right people, to boot.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
However, it wasn’t just his name that was the immediate problem. The monkey was anxious and it was clearly not comfortable around humans. So the next best step was to ensure that it had another animal with him to make him feel safe. But the problem was, they didn’t have any monkeys in the sanctuary.
The Objective
A sanctuary’s main objective, regardless if it’s a huge, funded facility or a small non-profit, is to make sure that animals who are in need are well taken care of at the same time, advocate for awareness and education on these animals that are taken under their wing.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary
Sanctuaries are facilities with large plots of land that help them raise these rescue animals. Often times, the animals that they take in are unfit to send back into the wild. But, whenever they do successfully rehabilitate animals, they make sure that they are ready for the outside world.
Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary
The common issue there is with sanctuaries is their lack of staffing, especially for animal carers. Because these facilities almost always rely on funding, there is no real “income” as the money that comes in is solely focused on supporting the animals inside the facility.
sarah_twala_trust/Instagram
So when the team at Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary welcomed Horace, they were in a pickle. They didn’t already have monkeys and they lacked manpower to foster the orphan. And so it left Sarah Carter, the sanctuary’s founder, no choice but to foster all of the animals together.
Foster Family
It wasn’t an easy decision but to Sarah, Horace’s and the other animals’ well-beings must be put first as they all need the love and attention. “Since we had so many orphans at the time, and not enough hands, we had to raise everyone together,” she said.
BBC UK
While it may sound like a good and solid plan for the team, they knew that it would be a great adjustment for Horace. To Horace, the world is such a big and scary place. He was apprehensive and always on edge, clearly not liking the whole situation. However, there was an unexpected break.
Unexpected Friendship
Because all the other animals were placed together in the sanctuary so the carers could easily monitor and take care of them, it was inevitable that unlikely friendships would soon be born. In Horace’s case, he made friends with two kittens who approached him – most probably because they were curious about him.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
When the carers first noticed this, they didn’t think much of it as they saw that Horace was a bit aloof. But as days passed, unexpectedly, the friendship grew. It was a slow and steady pace of interactions and then much to everybody’s surprise, Horace loosened up a bit.
Bestfriends
It was a very unlikely friendship between two kittens and Horace. No matter how many times the experts at the sanctuary had tried to explain why, they end up bewildered as this is not one you see every day and not even in the wild.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
People believe that it’s because of the gentle nature of the kittens that Horace chose to open up. Some say that they believe that because the kittens were also similar in size to him, it was less intimidating to him and so it was easier for him to interact with them.
Horace’s New Crew
Soon after he started opening up to the kittens, Horace decided he wanted to expand his horizons and make friends with the other animals. It didn’t take him long until he found a new bestfriend by the name of Keiko, the rescue dog at the shelter.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
When Horace realized that the animals weren’t there to hurt him, the playful side of him appeared out of nowhere. It surprised the carers that he was no longer this timid and scared monkey that they brought in. Horace got a little too playful that sometimes, he would leave workers scratching their heads.
Who He Really Is
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary wasn’t just your average sanctuary. It wasn’t just a place that animals are given shelter and fed on the daily so they don’t starve and die. The sanctuary was more than that. They also gave love to all the animals because that’s what they all deserve. Fortunately for Horace, he’s free to do whatever he wants.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
In an interview with The Daily Mail Sarah said, “Horace is a master napper. He fights it though as he is afraid he will miss something…And he loves to nap and sleeps anywhere he pleases.” Horace has become an extremely curious monkey. Anything he’s interested in, he snatches and takes it away.
Sneaky Monkey
When it comes to personality, Horace takes the cake. Sarah describes him as a very sweet monkey however, his wild and natural instincts would usually get the best of him. Sarah further explained that, “His biggest vice is being irresistibly drawn to the forbidden food he is not allowed to eat, places he shouldn’t be, objects he is not supposed to touch.”
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
He not only grabs things he wants but sometimes, he can be super sneaky about it. One moment he’s greeting a complete stranger, acting very affectionate and the next thing you know, he’s grabbed your keys or whatever shiny thing you’re holding and dashing off and up to the nearest tree.
Center Of Attention
Because of Horace’s rough start, the carers at the sanctuary had been treating him like an absolute baby. And that’s exactly what he is. Although he’s grown to be an adult, he always loves attracting attention to himself. He loves being pampered and carried around.
The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/Facebook
His antics have become a highlight in most of the staff at the sanctuary. He can be seen sometimes hitching a ride on Keiko’s back or doing sneaky things. While some animals may find it annoying, luckily for him, they pay no mind.
New Connection
Ever since Horace was brought to the sanctuary, he has not had a chance to interact with other monkeys as he was the only animal of his kind. However, when the sanctuary got a call about another orphaned baby vervet monkey, they did not hesitate to respond.
@sarah_twala_trust/Instagram
When they brought the baby monkey to the sanctuary, the staff were a bit apprehensive because vervets can be very territorial. But they decided to just go with it and see how Horace would respond to the new addition. Their eyes grew from amazement.
Alone No More
Horace was visibly surprised at the sudden introduction but he never did anything to hurt the baby monkey. Hamish, the baby vervet monkey, started approaching Horace and the two immediately bonded. It was like Horace knew why this baby was abandoned and how it needed comfort just like he’d experienced a few years prior.
Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary/YouTube
It didn’t take much and the two were already inseparable. Horace introduced Hamish to all his fur friends and when it was time to nap, Horace would snuggle next to the cats along with Hamish, as if to say “it’s okay, you’re safe now.”