The Overconfident Young Ape Who Provoked the Wrong Alpha | Monkey Life Season 18 Episode 7

[00:00:01]Today on Monkey Life, it's dental day for squirrel monkey Logan. But an all over check reveals another issue.

[00:00:10]>> That's looking more like that's a hematoma than anything else. Actually, >> has that been looked at before this one?

[00:00:15]>> No. So, we noticed [music] that a month or so ago.

[00:00:19]>> Young female orangutan Mimi meets alpha male Twan for the first time, but her overconfident mischief leads to a tough lesson about who's in charge.

[00:00:30]He's [music] been watching Mimi for the last week, wanting to get close to her.

[00:00:34]Um, and she's just wound him up the [music] wrong way now. And Allison visits a private collection of lemurs soon to be rehomed at the park.

[00:01:00]Monkey World in Dorset, buried deep in the English countryside, is the largest sanctuary of its kind on the planet.

[00:01:08]The team, led by Dr. Allison Cronin, rescue and rehabilitate abused and unwanted primates from all over the world.

[00:01:16]>> You just never know how it's going to work.

[00:01:20]The park provides a home for more than 250 primates from 24 different species.

[00:01:35]At the parks hospital, the team are preparing for the arrival of one of the smaller primates in their care.

[00:01:42]Squirrel monkey Logan is in need of a dental check.

[00:01:46]He developed an abscess below his eye recently, which may have been caused by an infected tooth. A course of antibiotics reduced the swelling, but the dental issue may remain.

[00:01:59]Hello there, little buddy.

[00:02:01]>> Local vet David Holler has been called in to take a look and give Logan an all over health check.

[00:02:08]Every time we anesthetize a patient here at Monkey World, we take the opportunity to have a full check over, full health exam, uh, make sure there's nothing else going on that's concerning, um, and try and keep them as healthy as we can for as long as we can. So, >> it doesn't take David long to confirm what the primate care staff suspected.

[00:02:28]At least one K9 needs to be extracted.

[00:02:34]>> Okay, we are definitely got an upper K9 problem on the right hand side. I can see that without X-rays, but we will still take X-rays and check the rest of the teeth and see what needs to come out. And then we got a little little swelling there.

[00:02:50]>> An all over check also reveals a lump on Logan's left arm that's cause for concern.

[00:02:56]>> Has that been looked at before this one?

[00:02:58]>> No. So, we noticed that a month or so ago.

[00:03:02]>> I don't think we've got [snorts] Yeah.

[00:03:05]time for dentistry and taking lumps off today. That will keep him under for a long time. He's only little. So >> following the dental surgery, David will collect a sample from the lump to be sent to a laboratory. Once Logan has been incubated, David takes a series of X-rays of his mouth and jaw. The results cause some concern.

[00:03:29]I can already see there's so much wear around them that they're they're coming out this you can see the pus around the upper right where we've had the abscess.

[00:03:41]>> The two lower canines are damaged, but a cleanup will ensure they last a while longer. However, the two upper canines will definitely have to come out. After some gentle probing and pulling, the first one comes out fairly easily.

[00:03:58]Then Logan is turned over so [music] David can work on the other side. The next canine isn't as straightforward.

[00:04:06]It's so decayed it comes out in bits.

[00:04:09]Eventually, David is satisfied he's got it all.

[00:04:13]>> They were both causing him more pain and doing more harm than good at this stage in his life. So, uh, he's going to be better off without those once that's once that's healed up because they were causing abscesses, swellings. You could see that the the bone surrounding the tooth was was unhealthy.

[00:04:30]>> Vet nurse Hattie lasers the gums and other affected areas to help stimulate the healing process and kill off any bacteria.

[00:04:41]Next, David turns his attention to the lump on Logan's arm.

[00:04:45]However, as he takes the sample, the mass deflates.

[00:04:51]That's looking more like that's a hematoma than anything else. Actually, >> a hematoma is a collection of blood which pools under the skin and is often caused by an injury.

[00:05:02]David is confident it's nothing to be worried about, but we'll wait for the results to be certain. hopefully [music] is a resolving hematoma and that's him done now for uh well potentially hopefully the rest of his days as an older monkey and he'll be bright, comfortable, happy um as a result of what we've done and give him yeah good good comfortable [music] good quality years um as as well as uh uh yeah long lifespan.

[00:05:29]>> Logan is returned to his travel box to recover. Hopefully this will be his last visit to the vet for some time.

[00:05:42]It's the start of day three for the park's newest arrival.

[00:05:47]Kiwi, an 11-month-old female orangutan, has been getting used to her new life and a new routine.

[00:05:57]That's a good girl.

[00:05:59]Oh, he's got your bottles. He's got your bottles.

[00:06:07]Last night, it was Allison's turn to look after both Kiwi and four-month-old male, Saibu, who's been at the park for 4 weeks.

[00:06:16]>> I had the pleasure last night of babysitting and it was double trouble.

[00:06:20]Um, I did have help. Alan Allan was sort of looking after Saibu's most needs and so on whereas um I [music] was trying to get Kiwi adapted to the new routine here because [music] we don't just sit and hold and cuddle them and yet that's what's been happening. So Kiwi's having to adjust to not being [music] held 100% of the time and not having her own way 100% of the time. And you know, it's it's sort of tough on her. She's only a just coming up to a year old and you know, it's going to be a fair bit of adapting, but um it it wasn't too bad last night. And you can see Sibu is sort of interested in her and her gear. She's sort of dutifully ignoring him.

[00:07:11]And we did get some sleep, so it wasn't too bad.

[00:07:15]At nearly a year old, Kiwi is more active and developed than Saibu. So, the pair only come together under careful supervision.

[00:07:24]It's beneficial for both to develop and form a relationship at such an early age.

[00:07:30]>> This is going to be fabulous for them.

[00:07:33]We've got a little bit of time [music] to adjust to him catching up with her.

[00:07:40]Um, you can see how much difference. I mean, he's 3 and 1/2 months, she's 11 months. Um, so he needs to progress a bit further before he can safely be with her. But the fact that they're doing this already, um, and she's considering him better or worse is a good thing, and and they will be together for certainly the next 10 years or more.

[00:08:08]Allison was hoping Kiwi would soon be ready for introductions to members of the park's orangutan nursery, but emotionally she isn't prepared for such a big step. She's still reliant on human contact, particularly Annabelle, who looked after her almost from birth at Spain's Rio Safari Elchce Zoo. The young orangutan needs to be gently weaned off human contact so she can develop relationships with other orangutans.

[00:08:35]It's just a shame Annabelle can't really be involved right now because as soon as Kiwi gets sight of her, she screams to just be attached to Annabelle. So, at least while she's Annabelle's still here with us in Dorset, we're trying to find our routine to make sure that Kiwi's okay before Annabelle heads out.

[00:09:01]Hey, Kiwi.

[00:09:04]Good girl. Come on then. Hey, madam.

[00:09:10]>> Kiwi has started to spend her days in a bedroom at the nursery where she can play to her heart's content and can see and hear the other orangutans when they're indoors.

[00:09:21]>> It's really good that she can come down here straight away and get used to all the animals. Uh she's going to be meeting some of them eventually, so yeah, it's nice that [music] she can see everybody, get used to them, and they can get used to her as well.

[00:09:34]They all came over when we first gave him the bedroom over here. Everybody was really interested and wanted to see her.

[00:09:40]Everybody had a really good look and [music] yeah, they seem really interested to meet her.

[00:09:45]>> Annabelle has arrived at the nursery for a final goodbye to the baby orangutan.

[00:09:50]She traveled with her to Dorset to ease the transition to a new life at Monkey World. But now [music] it's time for her to go home. She does have a very confident personality and >> [music] >> uh yeah, so she's not intimidated by any of this. She's she's really enjoying it.

[00:10:07]I mean, she's to be honest, she's been doing it since day one. Uh but it's [music] still amazing to see how how much she is trusting everybody and [music] just trusting her u her new home and her new routine and adjusting to it.

[00:10:21]I think just just fine.

[00:10:24]It's early days, but the signs are good that Kiwi will settle into her new life and become the newest member of the park's orangutan family.

[00:10:41]At the top Woolly Forest enclosure, the troop are all outside enjoying some warm spring sunshine.

[00:10:48]There's now eight members of Chippy's family following the birth of Ava's daughter 4 days ago.

[00:10:56]The pair are doing well with the baby suckling, holding on tight, and thriving.

[00:11:03]But mama Ava still wants her quiet time away from the others.

[00:11:09]Yeah, all back to normal. Um, groups all reunited. They have access to their whole [music] territory. Um, and yeah, we've seen everything that we need to see from both Ava and baby. We've got feeding. Um, [music] and a nice, strong, healthy looking baby. So, and AA seems comfortable and happy enough. Still a little bit tired obviously a few days in, but yeah, she's very happy that we've got a [music] nice bit of spring sunshine. So, yeah, so far so good.

[00:11:36]Although Chippy is the dominant male in the group, the care staff are fairly certain Zavi, the other adult male in the troop, is the father, he's always had a soft spot for Ava, and the pair are close.

[00:11:48]The team are yet to name his daughter.

[00:11:52]>> What we usually do um in more recent years is that we take the first letter of the father's name and that helps us keep track of who's who and who's related to who. So, um, since we feel fairly confident that it's Zavi, we have to find a little girl's name beginning with an X. So, not, um, an easy task.

[00:12:12]So, yeah, we've got a few a few in the hat. We discuss it amongst the team and see what everybody favors really and then we, yeah, we'll we'll make a decision hopefully in another week or [music] so.

[00:12:24]>> Ava has two other daughters, four-year-old Catalina and Zena, who's coming up to three. Zena isn't over reliant on mum these days and is more interested in having fun with some of the other youngsters in the group.

[00:12:40]>> I think being a little bit older than maybe maybe some of the other youngsters when when mom's had a baby, she's already at that point where she's fast approaching three. So, she's had that a little bit extra time. You know, at 3 years old, they're not babies anymore and she's spending more time with the other older older girls in the group.

[00:12:58]So, I think it was it was a good time really for her and she's intrigued by her new little baby sister. [music] Um, but yeah, she she is she's she's doing okay.

[00:13:09]>> The troop have experienced a number of changes recently, including moving home and some new additions, [music] but they're developing strong bonds and becoming a well- settled family. With solid role models and support from several generations, the future for their newest member looks promising.

[00:13:31]It's a big day for one of the park's female orangutans. 9-year-old Mimi, who was rejected by her mother at Moscow Zoo, arrived at Monkey World when she was 2 years old. A few weeks ago, after 7 years in the nursery, she successfully graduated to join Tuan's adult group, settling in well and meeting all the ladies. But she still has to meet massive alpha male Tuan. [music] And today's the day.

[00:13:58]>> Because Tuan is quite a big lad and Mimi's quite young, we decided we wanted to do the introduction outside um to give Mimi a bit more opportunity to get away if she wanted to. Indoors can be a bit intimidating. Um so we're just going to let them out and see if they get along.

[00:14:12]>> I'll start opening the apple.

[00:14:14]>> Introductions can be tricky and dangerous, but Tuan is an experienced male who's met a few new ladies in his time.

[00:14:28]Hi, Ms. Hello, lovely. You come in.

[00:14:31]>> Rachel lets Mimi into the enclosure first.

[00:14:36]She's quick and agile, unlike Tuan. If she does feel she needs to get away, she has that advantage.

[00:14:46]>> We got the three all three girls out.

[00:14:49]>> Mimi is being joined outside by Lucky and Army.

[00:14:56]There are plenty of interested observers keeping their fingers crossed the first meeting between Mimi and Tuan goes well.

[00:15:05]>> Yep. Now's good a time as any.

[00:15:11]>> The big male is let into the enclosure.

[00:15:14]He's in no rush, although he's aware there's a new female nearby. Normally, he'd immediately be on the lookout for food, but today he [music] sits and assesses the situation.

[00:15:25]>> He's climbing up away.

[00:15:28]>> Mimi quietly takes evasive action.

[00:15:33]Tuan continues to sit and wait while Mimi views him safely from high up.

[00:15:38]>> Well, it's good that she hasn't freaked out so far.

[00:15:43]>> Curiosity eventually gets the better of [music] her, and she heads down for a closer look.

[00:15:50]Tuan ignores her, which only convinces the young female to make her presence known any way she can.

[00:15:58]She tests Tuan's [music] patience, pulling his hair and then throwing woodwool at him while safely out of reach.

[00:16:15]Mimi's just held [music] true to what we thought her character was like. So, she was a bit of a sort of forceful bully, overconfident in the nursery as she matured. And now it's playing out with Tuan. She can't bear it that Twan isn't going after her, chasing her. And [music] to be honest, right now, he's just completely looking away, giving her the sight of his face.

[00:16:44]and she can't stand it.

[00:16:47]>> But provoking an 80 kg adult male orangutan probably isn't the best course of action. At some stage, Tuan's likely to want to make the point that he's in charge of the group.

[00:17:01]And after one hairpull too many, he drops the disinterested facade and gives chase.

[00:17:13]At first, Mimi stays out of reach, but she's overconfident, and the next time she ventures down, Tuan strikes.

[00:17:23]He's three times her size, and this time she can't get away.

[00:17:32]He's been watching Mimi for the last week, wanting to get close to her. Um, and she's just wound him up the wrong way. Now, >> the result is a big wakeup call for the young female.

[00:17:44]>> It's not very nice to watch, but orangutans do [music] sometimes resort to forced mating. Um, usually it's the unflanged males that don't get a look in otherwise. Um, in Tuan's case here, he's got someone he's never met before and he's really excited to meet and he's been playing games with him.

[00:18:04]Um, and yeah, [music] it was just too much to resist.

[00:18:09]>> The team tried to distract Tuan with food, but Mimi doesn't seem too upset as she chews on a grass stem. However, the big male's attention can't be diverted.

[00:18:21]>> Mimi is new to this group. She doesn't understand all the ins and outs of Rangitisan politics in the adult world.

[00:18:26]Um, [music] so she's got to learn all that and I think she's learned a lot this morning.

[00:18:31]>> Finally, Mimi makes her escape, getting as far away from Tuan as she can. She's likely to keep her distance for the rest of the day with a new understanding of life outside the nursery and just who is boss in this group.

[00:18:53]The park is home to a troop of eight lemurs who live in the wonderful treefilled spacious environment of Malagasi.

[00:19:02]And it's a good thing there's lots of space because Allison has been asked to take on a new group of ringtailed lemurs from a [music] private collection in Ketaring.

[00:19:11]I got a phone call from a private owner that um to be quite honest would be [music] a example of what I would call a specialist keeper. He's not keeping [music] a lemur in a cage in his sitting room or anything like that. In fact, he's got a large group of lemurs. He's got 11. And he's [music] decided that it's time for them to find a final home.

[00:19:40]>> [music] >> And that will be the end of his stay sort of keeping primates.

[00:19:44]>> You're all right. Do you need a raisin, too?

[00:19:48]>> Last week, Allison traveled to the Midlands to meet owner Chris and take a look at all 11 lemurs.

[00:19:55]Chris bought his first pair called Bill and Ben in 2007, and they soon started breeding. The troop are all one family.

[00:20:05]>> This is potentially a big commitment or undertaking. And I just wanted to go and see what they were, what they look like, what we were getting ourselves into, so that we were a bit more prepared rather than just going and picking them up. So saw them last week. They look brilliant.

[00:20:23]They look in really good condition.

[00:20:25][music] So I have absolutely no concerns about them.

[00:20:30]Lemur introductions can be tricky. The species are known to be volatile when meeting new individuals and can quickly inflict serious damage.

[00:20:39]>> Consequently, introducing 11 new characters to the eight in Malagasi needs to be done in stages and carefully managed.

[00:20:48]>> To start with, Allison is going to collect the four males and keep them separate from the others until they're settled and ready for introductions.

[00:20:57]She has a suitable temporary house available due to delays in Lebanon where another group of primates are awaiting a new home.

[00:21:06]>> Got an empty house that's waiting for our baboons right now and until we get the transport arranges sorted out in what is a very difficult and volatile situation at the moment. It's sitting so it's a neutral territory is what it is.

[00:21:22]um and perfectly fitted out to be taking these lemurs in.

[00:21:28]>> The primate care staff are racing to get the baboon house ready for the four new lemurs.

[00:21:36]>> The team are quite excited for the new arrivals. We've got a few sort of [music] oldie lemurs. Um so yeah, having a bit of a like refreshed group could [music] be a good thing for some of our other younger lemurs. Um, in the long in the long run, we're taking on at least these four males and then there's potentially some ladies coming afterwards. We need to sort of get some of our current lemurs introduced to the the new boys first. See how we get on and then um yeah, [music] let's watch the space as to who may be following after that.

[00:22:05]>> All right.

[00:22:06]>> As the team prep the bedrooms, Allison sets off for Ketering. She'll be back tomorrow with four new male lemurs who hopefully will eventually join the existing group at Malagasi.

[00:22:21]>> [music] >> Next time on Monkey Life, baby orangutan Sibu and Kiwi enjoy a play session together.

[00:22:33]>> Hi. [laughter] That is a nice little play face.

[00:22:38]>> And Capachins Ero and Sha commandeer a colorful log pile, leaving the rest of the group to wait their turn. Wow, [music] heat.