Gallery Update
PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - South Africa's first free-roaming multispecies primate sanctuary, Monkeyland on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay, has entered adulthood over the past week after celebrating 21 years since first opening its doors and is marking this milestone by opening a sister sanctuary in Kwazulu-Natal.
And just like any journey into adulthood is usually plagued by growing pains, Monkeyland has had its fair share of challenges over the years, but this has shaped it into a world-renowned and multi-award winning sanctuary that prides itself on responsible tourism – putting the animals first.
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Monkeyland is part of the SA Animal Sanctuary Alliance which includes Birds of Eden and Jukani. Monkeyland was the first sanctuary in the fold, started by locals Tony Blignaut and Lara Mostert, and opened its doors on 6 April 1998.
Bringing about change
The two were motivated to start a monkey sanctuary as both of them did not like seeing monkeys in cages.
While working as an overland tour guide, Blignaut saw the impact of humans on nature firsthand including primates being caught for the pet and pelt trades, laboratories, for display in zoological gardens, and as a source of food.
A few decades later they found a home for their dream of creating a safe haven for these animals. They found the perfect property in the Crags just outside Plett.
And like they say, the rest is history.
Home to 700 primates
Today the sanctuary is home to about 700 primates, from capuchin monkeys, gibbons and lemurs to squirrel monkeys, langur and howler monkeys. And all the monkeys live in an environment as natural as possible with no human contact.
"We have a strict no-touch policy which we have stuck to from the start. It is something we believe is the right thing to do.
It has not been a popular stance, but because of our determination, other tourism role players have adopted the same sentiment over the years and no longer promote wild animal interaction products. It has been more than 20 years, but it is finally paying off," Mostert said.
Garnering awards
The sanctuary's responsible tourism efforts have not gone unnoticed and have brought them several awards including the Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award – overall winner of the responsible tourism award.
Almost to the day, 21 years later, Mostert and Blignaut are putting all that they have learned over the years into their new sanctuary – Monkeyland KZN near Ballito, which will be opening its doors on Saturday 13 April.
"It is a fitting way to celebrate this massive milestone and we are excited to open up another home for rescued primates."
Read a previous article here: Monkeyland enters adulthood
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