Owl Monkeys at the DuMond Conservancy for Primates and Tropical Forests

Owl Monkeys at the DuMond Conservancy

We have the great privilege to care for a little over 50 owl monkeys at the DuMond Conservancy.  Our owl monkeys either live in Owl Monkeys at the DuMond Conservancy pairs or small families in a secluded naturally forested area with vegetation screening their enclosures.  At dusk the woods become alive with the sounds of owl monkey vocalizations that include contented purrs as they sample their first meal of the evening and amazing resonant whoops if they hear an unfamiliar sound. We feed out owl monkeys a varied diet of specially prepared biscuits and mixed fruits, vegetables and leafy greens.  The moneys also spend a lot of time foraging for insects that enter their enclosures.  In nature owl monkeys eat fruit, leaves, insects and flowers.  We have planted near the owl monkey enclosures the trees that produce the pink flowers that they love so much in Argentina.  On clear nights when the moon is full, the monkeys make loud hooting sounds and are much more active than on darker nights.

Owl monkeys have been used in several types of biomedical studies.  Many of our older monkeys have been used in either ophthalmological research (because of their big eyes) or for studying the biology and treatment of malaria infections in humans.
We consider it our obligation to provide enriched lives for owl monkeys when they are released from research laboratories.