Recovery and rehabilitation of primates at Oasis Park Fuerteventura

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

All primates undergoing rehabilitation at OASIS PARK come from SEPRONA nature protection service seizures or donations from other centres, and even from private individuals. Many of these primates were captured from their natural environment to be sold illegally as pets, or if bought legally, their owners kept them in terrible conditions.

WHY OASIS PARK?

Primates are sociable animals that need to live in groups to survive in the wild. These animals cannot return to their natural environment as they would not be accepted in any of these groups, as captivity leads them to lose part of their natural behaviour and survival instincts as animals grow up in a humanised way. Therefore, they could not survive in solitude and would die. At OASIS PARK we try to help them form stable families and recover their natural behaviours.

A LONG PROCESS.

Many primates have spent their lives as pets, living with humans, and thereby acquiring habits which are harmful for them such as unsuitable diets or behaviours which are not natural for their species. Upon their arrival at OASIS PARK they must spend a period in quarantine where three essential points will be monitored: the state of their health, their diet, and potential abnormal behaviour. After this period, they will move to the next stage: socialisation. This is a very complicated period as the group’s acceptance of new members is usually very difficult. Once in a family they will try to learn the behaviours of their species. It is a challenge that we face using Environmental Enrichment!

PLEASE HELP US BY:

Not feeding the animals, as they have a rich and balanced diet, and its alteration may endanger their health.
Not interacting with the primates – it is dangerous and also endangers their recovery.
Not attracting their attention by tapping on the glass or throwing objects into the enclosures. They require their privacy to recover.

Remember that primates are not pets!