All the owl monkeys at the Dumond Conservancy for Primates
and Tropical
Forests have a name and a personality to go with it. Jeffrey
Weingarth has been
coming to the Conservancy for a few years now through a program
for mentally
handicapped students of Southridge High School in South Dade
to participate in the
care of the primates on the premises. Nearly all of the owl
monkeys belong to a
family group and there is one family in particular that Jeffrey
has become
fond of. This family consists of Betsy, an elderly, fluffy,
dominant mother (who
always gets first dibs on the food), Peanut, a slight, trusting,
patient
father, and their two-year-old daughter, Creamy, who is her
parents’ rambunctious
rendition and a favorite among Conservancy supporters.
Every Thursday
Jeffery knows it is his responsibility to look after this
family. He begins with a walk through the winding path of
coral and gumbo limbos, wild coffee, ficus trees, and wild
tamarind as Willy Cotto, a regular volunteer, guides him to
take his first look of them of the day. He returns to the
kitchen to help create a motley-colored array of succulent
fruits such as melons, pineapples, and grapes. With knife
in hand, he slices the fruits with concentrated precision
and never loses focus until he is done. He carries out
all tasks in the same manner. He later returns to the woods
to pick up Peanut’s, Betsy’s, and Creamy’s
left-over dishes from the night before. At this time,
Jeffrey offers a small treat of marshmallow to the family
who respond by vocalizing a deep-sounding throat trill of
satisfaction. Now, who would have
thought that the pose for Michelangelo’s “Creation
of Man” would be re-enacted at the Dumond Conservancy
for Primates and Tropical Forests, casually and unplanned.
As he watches
them with a curious eye and he gently offers them the gooey
treat, arms are fully extended into space, magnetizing towards
each other;
Peanut, Betsy, and Creamy from their mounted nest box and
Jeffrey, the biped,
standing just beneath them. Five-fingered-hands offer themselves
to brief
interaction. There is a metaphor here as each one stretches
for the other - a
connection of their origin. Peanut and Betsy push and shove
each other in hopes to
get the next piece of marshmallow offered. Creamy tries to
wedge herself
between her parents to take part in this afternoon marshmallow
mingle. Before
he steps back outside of the family’s enclosure, Jeffrey
says “Goodbye
Peanut, goodbye Betsy,” as he points to each one correctly.
He hoses down their
cage and brings them an afternoon snack comprised of various
fruits and some
special monkey biscuits. When he returns to the classroom
at Southridge High
school he shares his experiences with his fellow classmates.
Jeffery Weingarth is one of many who have become attached
to a family in the
owl monkey woods at the Dumond Conservancy. This program that
allows for
these students of Southridge High School to take part in the
day to day of the
Conservancy creates a relationship of symbiosis. The students
benefit by
getting real experience at a real job, creating a work ethic,
thus ascribing to the
significance of responsibility, and a feeling of fulfillment
as they complete
their tasks successfully, knowing they have direct responsibility
for the
simians’ welfare. The Conservancy benefits from the
help they offer during the
school year as it depends on volunteers to extend an enriched
experience to the
monkeys. And probably most importantly, Jeffrey and his classmates
bring life
to the place.
There is a unique curiosity that arises from humans about
non-human primates.
We realize their many characteristics that compare to our
own. We all are,
after all, ourselves primates. In much of the world, there
is a chasm in our
understanding of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
This
life-enhancing program that the DuMond Conservancy offers
bridges the gap. It is not
only a nurturing and enriching place for non-human primates,
but a nurturing and
enriching place for people as well. These owl monkeys serve
as a resource
for enhancement of the lives of people in the local community.
Peanut, Betsy,
and Creamy have become a part of Jeffrey’s life as he
looks forward to help
caring for them every Thursday. And I’m sure if Peanut,
Betsy, or Creamy had the
ability for speech, they would tell us that they enjoy the
gifts of
marshmallows that he bestows upon them and request he stuff
a few extra into his pocket
next time he ventures into the owl monkey woods.
