One of our monkeys needs a new name – can you help?
Normally, when a new monkey arrives at Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary, they keep the name they came with – however silly it may seem! One of our latest monkey arrivals, however, came with a name that we couldn’t keep. We need help re-naming him! Read on to find out why we need a new name, how you can help… and what you can win!
The Contest
Suggest a name by commenting on the post on our facebook page (making sure to check that the name has not been suggested already) by Sunday 15th April. On Monday 16th April, our Keepers will shortlist 10 names – then YOU can vote to decide a winner on a facebook poll between 17th and 20th April!
The successful monkey-namer will win a family ticket to visit Wild Futures’ flagship project The Monkey Sanctuary, the home of this young monkey and his group. The prize will also include a complimentary lunch at our very own Treetop Café! (Please note there will be no direct contact with our monkeys, just a chance to see them enjoying their beautiful new home with their monkey neighbours. See terms and conditions for full details).
The winner will be announced on Friday 20th April. We will be posting photos and facts on our facebook page to help you to come up with the best name possible!
Why the name change?
Normally, when a new resident arrives at Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary, they keep the name they came with – whether it’s a name we would choose or not (case in point: few of the keepers tend to be the most fashion-forward of people – at least in a catwalk sense! – but we have both a Chanel and a Gucci under our care). For the first time we’ve decided to make an exception to this rule.

One of our new capuchin monkeys, a 3 year old male, is currently known as “Dexter”. While in itself the name “Dexter” is inoffensive (some may say it is amongst the nicer names that our rescued monkeys have arrived with!), we found that the implications of having a monkey with this name were inappropriate and counter to much of the work that we do. “Dexter” is a well-known character in a series of Hollywood blockbuster films, played by a monkey “actor” named Crystal. While the name “Dexter” does provide a good talking point about the problems with using primates as entertainers, Wild Futures is wary about appearing to support or condone this damaging practice – which has many of the same implications as the primate pet trade. Given that, despite our best efforts, we might not be able to reach every one of the visitors to The Monkey Sanctuary site where he lives, to explain our position on primate “actors”, we made the decision to give this young monkey a new, less controversial name.
Although the subject of primates in “entertainment” is not the primary focus of our campaigns work at the moment, it is an issue close to many of our hearts and it is inextricably linked with the pet trade. Whenever a monkey appears as an “actor” in the mass media, the number of inquiries that we at Wild Futures receive about how to obtain a pet monkey, or whether we offer our residents to be held or touched for money, seems to increase. Recent research has demonstrated that the inappropriate use and portrayal of chimpanzees in the media distorts public perception of their conservation status and suitability as pets, and in this way may even contribute to their demise in the wild[i] [ii]. We feel that the results of such research will inevitably be similar for other primates, including capuchin monkeys who are probably the most frequently used primate “actors” of all.
To learn more about the use of primates as entertainers, please visit the Ape Alliance’s Apes in Entertainment Working Group page at http://www.4apes.com/ent/. And keep your eye out for the forthcoming Animalpledge.org !
[i] Ross, SR; Lukas, KE; Lonsdorf, EV; Stoinski, TS; Hare, B; Shumaker, R; Goodall, J. 2008. Inappropriate Use and Portrayal of Chimpanzees. Science v 319; p1487. www.sciencemag.org
[ii] Schroepfer, KK; Rosati, AG; Chartrand, T; Hare, B. 2011. Use of “Entertainment” Chimpanzees in Commercials Distorts Public Perception Regarding Their Conservation Status. PLoS One. www.plosone.org
Terms & Conditions
- The prize is for a family ticket for our project The Monkey Sanctuary, based in Looe, Cornwall and a tour to see the renamed monkey (currently named ‘Dexter’) and his group by a Keeper.
- The winner will be decided in two stages: first by shortlisting by our Keepers at The Monkey Sanctuary on Wednesday 11th April and then by a facebook poll, which will run from 12th-16th April.
- The winner will announced on Monday 16th April via facebook and twitter.
- The prize is valid during our open season usually from Easter until the end of October each year, on open days usually Sunday to Thursday. We may be open additional days so please check our website: www.monkeysanctuary.org/visit-us/opening-times
- The ticket is valid for one visit only.
- There will be no direct contact with the monkeys.
- The tour is only available if ‘Dexter’ and his group are able to be visited by members of the public. If there is cause for welfare reasons, the monkeys will not be on display.
- Competition outcome will also be promoted on relevant publication media such as the Wild Futures website, Monkey Sanctuary website and all social media.