Vernon

Former Resident

Vernon vervet monkey, a PRC resident for twenty-one years, passed away in the early evening of January 7, 2025. Vernon was near his monkey friends and neighbors as he passed, and surrounded by his devoted caregivers soon after.

Vernon was the survivor of a difficult and traumatic pet situation. He and many other animals were neglected and individually housed in small, filthy dog crates stacked on top of each other in a home in Milton, New York. Vernon only had enough room to stand up and turn around while also having to cope with many different animals all around his space. Vernon, along with six other primates, was brought to the Primate Rescue Center on January 1, 2004 after all the animals were seized from the home by authorities.

With the trauma and stress of long-term neglect and physical isolation, Vernon was extremely timid and nervous in his new sanctuary surroundings. After being deprived of any type of comfort or enrichment in his previous home, nearly everything was scary to Vernon. Toys or blankets offered to him by caregivers caused him to alarm call and retreat from the area. He also found it difficult to socialize with others at the sanctuary. Although attempts were made at introducing him to a few different monkeys, we found that Vernon was much more comfortable having a space all to himself, with monkey neighbors an appropriate distance away.

Although his rehabilitation might seem slow, year by year, Vernon became more relaxed and confident. With thoughtful and patient care from his caregivers, Vernon became less afraid and grew to love all types of enrichment. His favorite things to do were batting a large plastic ball around his enclosure and foraging through pine shavings or straw for snacks. He also grew to love blankets and plush animal toys, and even became protective of these items in his home. Vernon also kept a tidy home, with designated areas where he ate, slept, and used the bathroom. He loved all types of leafy browse, but hackberry was his absolute favorite. A hackberry tree grows near his summer enclosure location, and his caregivers loved to see his eyes light up when they brought him a fresh branch.

In his final months, Vernon began showing us that he was ready to form a closer bond with neighboring monkey, Maggie Moor macaque. We attached their enclosures with a tunnel to begin the process of introduction, and both Vernon and Maggie were making excellent progress spending time in the tunnel and getting comfortable with each other’s proximity. Vernon went from admiring her from a distance to sitting in the tunnel a few feet away from her, grooming himself and looking lovingly in her direction. Although Vernon’s time with Maggie was sadly cut short, we feel sure that Vernon was finally more open to sharing his space and his heart was filled with hope and curiosity about their budding friendship.

We will always remember Vernon’s sweet and shy nature, his wise eyes and kind face, and his distinct fluffy, white face-tufts. His willingness to overcome his fears and give things a try, and his determination to live a happy life despite the dark past he endured is something we will always admire. We hope that Vernon felt how much he was loved by us all, and what an honor it was to care for him and witness his second chance at life.