Chanel was forcibly taken from her mother as an infant to be hand-reared and kept as a pet with another monkey named Coco. They were later confiscated after Coco escaped from the dog-kennel they were being kept in. It was found that their owner didn’t have the correct license to keep them, so they both came to live at The Monkey Sanctuary in 2003.

On arrival, Chanel was underweight and extremely frightened. She displayed some of the most severe stereotypical behaviours we have ever seen such as teeth grinding, hand-clapping, and anxiously leaping up and down; all caused by her experiences as a pet.

Thankfully, Chanel has greatly improved both physically and psychologically since her arrival, and she now flourishes with the specialist care that she receives.

Her friend, Coco, has since passed away, but she lives happily in our very social weeper capuchin group. Always a fan of comfort, her carers find that she is usually the first to bed in the evenings – always with one of her favourite fleecy blankets in tow!

Chanel can often be a timid character, mostly owing to her previous trauma. Around those she trusts, she is a wonderful and fun personality. We are incredibly proud of the journey Chanel continues to be on – she is a shining example of how resilient and strong monkeys are.