Billy arrived as a youngster at The Monkey Sanctuary in January 2012.

Sadly, the details of his past are not fully certain, but we know that he was born in a zoo somewhere in Eastern Europe, from where he was sold into the primate pet trade and smuggled into the UK.

When he arrived, Billy was still young and impressionable and desperately wanted to play with all of his new monkey friends, but his social skills were seriously lacking and he had a lot to learn about capuchin social do’s and don’ts!

Luckily, Billy is a very quick learner and is also very brave. Not self-pitying, when told off by the other monkeys, he doesn’t sulk but patiently waits to be able to play again.

Billy has learnt a great deal about being a monkey since his arrival and has grown into a strong and confident alpha of his own little group. He is still prone to anxieties, probably a result from not having enough social lessons in his early years, but he is learning how to cope with them.

As a rather large monkey, Billy doesn’t always realise that he can come across as rather intimidating to the other monkeys on first impressions. He always means well, he just doesn’t realise his own size!