Nightclub Monkeys Moved to Rainforest Zoo
May 2005
Following a years-long "Free the Monkeys" campaign by Hawaiian animals protection organizations and concerned citizens, three squirrel monkeys kept on display at Honolulu's Blue Tropix nightclub were transferred to the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo, in Hilo on the "Big Island" of Hawaii, in January 2005.
The three monkeys, one male and two females, now live in an outdoor quarantine area. The zoo already has four squirrel monkeys in a half-acre enclosure and, once the newcomers' health checks are completed, the zoo plans to merge the two groups.
In the April 2001 issue of PPL News, IPPL asked readers to protest the exhibition of squirrel monkeys at the raucous Blue Tropix nightclub. Three animals were being housed in a glass-fronted enclosure and subjected nightly to unaviodable stares from bar patrons (considered a threatening behavior by many primate species), loud noises produced by the sound system, and disturbingly bright lights in the middle of the night. The animals were reported to exhibit abnormal behaviors typical of highly stressed monkeys, including head twirling, excessive scratching, and repetitive movements. They had no outdoor access.
Many readers responded with letters to government agencies protesting the incarceration of monkeys in such inappropriate surroundings. Said Betty Damida, one of the leaders in the effort to help the Blue Tropix monkeys, "The 'Free the Monkeys' organizers would like to thank all the IPPL readers who took the time to write to the agencies. These letters were a
significant part of the public records that were obtained and scrutinized to move the government agencies to action. Mahalo! [Thank you!]" This transfer to an environment more consistent with the animals' welfare is certainly a victory for primate lovers everywhere.
Zoo director Dick Mortemore told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that the monkeys' reactions to their new home seemed to be, "Oh my gosh, there's sky up there. They appeared to be curious about the new experience!"
Congratulations to Betty Kamida, Linda Vannatta,
and everyone involved in getting the monkeys out of an unsuitable environment!
See related story: A New Refuge for Woolly Monkeys in the Peruvian Amazon
