Monkeys know best

joanlawson
joanlawson Member Posts: 8,681
edited 2. Sep 2011, 16:14 in Community Chit-chat archive
I've had a fascinating time today, wandering through the Monkey Forest at Trentham, near Stoke-on-Trent.

http://www.trentham-monkey-forest.com/information.php?id_cat=1

It's home to 140 Barbary macaque monkeys which roam free in the forest. It's wonderful to watch them swinging through the trees and in their social groups, without the restrictions of cages.

There were lots of baby monkeys, and it was explained to us that male Barbary macaques care for and groom the babies just as much as the females. Several males could be seen carrying the babies on their backs and playing with them while the females sat together watching or chattering to each other ( they really do chatter. ) This male participation in the caring for the young is unusual in the monkey world, but there is some evidence that when it comes to mating, the females show preference for the males who demonstrate their parental skills. Therefore the males want to impress the females by helping to care for all the babies in the group. Everyone wins in this arrangement; the males win the hearts of the females, the females get a great deal of help with childcare, and the babies benefit from lots of love and attention.

I think that human beings could learn a lot from the Barbary macaques.

Joan :grin:
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Comments

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Joan

    the monkey forest is up the road from us Joan :grin:
    I LOVE those monkeys especially the Mums with the babies on their backs/fronts when they cross the path and you wait for them to.

    Great day out.

    Love

    Toni xx
  • janie68
    janie68 Member Posts: 1,186
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I have to admit, despite living only approx 12 miles away, I still havent been!

    Mind you, you tend not to go the places near you do you? Or is it just me?

    Glad you enjoyed it!

    Janie
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hang your head Janie!!!!

    They are so sweet they really are and on a nice day it's one of the best places to be. :smile:

    Love

    Toni xx
  • NinaKKang
    NinaKKang Member Posts: 663
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I would visit... but they might not let my children out, thinking we were trying to smuggle monkeys out :D

    Nxx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    NinaKKang wrote:
    I would visit... but they might not let my children out, thinking we were trying to smuggle monkeys out :D

    Nxx


    :shock:
  • joanlawson
    joanlawson Member Posts: 8,681
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for your replies, Toni, Janie, and Nina.

    I can recommend a visit to the Monkey Forest to anyone who lives nearby, so you must go sometime, Janie.

    Further research about macaque monkeys has revealed more information about the males. Apparently, during the mating season, the males mate with all the females in the group, so they don't know how many of the babies are theirs. Consequently, they take care of all the babies in the hopes that some of them are their own.

    This is in contrast to the irresponsible behaviour of some men, who father children but play no part in their upbringing. They could definitely learn something from the monkeys :roll:

    Joan
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  • NinaKKang
    NinaKKang Member Posts: 663
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Very true, Joan... I'm lucky in that I'm a daddy's girl through and through - I've always been my dad's favourite and I remember him looking after me far more than my mum did - by the time I was old enough to have memories, my little sister had joined the family with her various health problems so my mum was busy with her. My dad made up the shortfall :D

    Nxx
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Joan I have written that down and hopefully we will visit one day. It does say scooters will get round the whole area. It looks fun even though we have no little ones.

    I will also tell my brother and sil.

    Thankyou :grin:

    juliepf x
  • joanlawson
    joanlawson Member Posts: 8,681
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    julie47 wrote:
    Joan I have written that down and hopefully we will visit one day. It does say scooters will get round the whole area. It looks fun even though we have no little ones.

    I will also tell my brother and sil.

    Thankyou :grin:

    juliepf x

    The site is very well laid out with a path leading round, so I think scooters would be OK to get round. It was a good day out, and the monkeys are out all year round because in their natural habitat it gets very cold in the winter so they are adapted to it.
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