Jenny Siamang Gibbon was rescued by the PRC in 1992 and is estimated to have been born in 1971.
The PRC’s Lifetime Care Promise
by: Melanie Parker
Since its founding, the Primate Rescue Center’s mission has been clear – rescue, rehabilitation, and recovery of primates in need. Our goal is to provide a safe haven along with exceptional, individualized care for each primate we rescue from the day they arrive until the day it is their time to leave this earth. Depending on the age of the primate upon arrival, their species, and their mental and physical health, this can translate to many, many years of care. Our ultimate goal is to help those we rescue to thrive and live to their full potential lifespan, and we want to see them through every stage of their life and adjust their care plan as needed. This is the lifetime care promise we make to each primate rescued and brought to the sanctuary.
We are proud and honored to have cared for the many primates who have come and gone from the sanctuary, and we are currently caring for a wide range of ages and species. Around 7% of our population is considered young/juvenile, 20% are considered young adults, and 29% of our population is considered middle age. However, among our residents, many of whom have lived at the PRC for 20 or more years, 44% of our residents fall into the “senior” age range. We know that it is illogical to expect any living being to live forever. The probability of us having to say goodbye to some of our primate friends long before we want is an inevitable outcome. We know it is imperative to continue to provide our older residents with the proper care they need, such as diet adjustments, additional supplements or medications, and safe and appropriate housing and climbing structures to accommodate their physical changes. We also celebrate the decades that those primates have lived in a peaceful, secure, and loving home. They were given a second chance at life, and they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and feet and have not let go! They are living miracles, and we are so thankful to be able to affect their lives in such a positive and impactful way. We are also so grateful for our donors, who are also part of that miracle because their support allows us to make that lifetime care promise to each monkey and ape rescued by the PRC.
Below is a graph illustrating the primate residents’ ages compared to the life stages and potential lifespan for each species, updated in July 2022.
