Tudo and Dionysus
(Video: Israeli Primate Sanctuary Foundation)
Tudo the marmoset monkey, a tiny primate weighing just under 12 ounces on average, was raised in a private home in Israel after being illegally smuggled from Thailand to be sold to the highest bidder.
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About three years ago, he was found in a small cage outside a public bomb shelter and taken to the monkey sanctuary in central Israel's Ben Shemen Forest, one of the largest of its kind in the world, where he has been living ever since.
Tudo has been living alone in his cage for a long time, and the sanctuary's staff has been searching for a companion for him. They reached out to their partners abroad to check if they had a marmoset that could move in with him.
While the arrival of a female companion for Tudo from a shelter in the Netherlands was delayed, an urgent request came in to accommodate Dionysus, another marmoset who had arrived from a research laboratory in Israel.
"The two of them underwent a supervised introduction in our monkey school. When we saw that they were ready to spend time together, we moved them both to Tudo's chamber. Tudo, who loves to play with blankets, already tried to invite Dionysus to play with him on the first evening," said Dr. Tamar Fredman, CEO of the Israeli Primate Sanctuary Foundation.
"On the second night, when we saw that they went to sleep together under the blanket, we knew we succeeded, and they were already good friends."
Their friendship continues to strengthen over time, and the monkey sanctuary reports that Tudo has never looked happier.
The foundation was established by Dr. Fredman with the goal of helping monkeys in distress in Israel. The sanctuary receives monkeys that have been released from research laboratories, monkeys that were smuggled into Israel and raised in harsh conditions, monkeys that people tried to raise as pets illegally and monkeys that were rescued from wildlife trafficking.
When the monkeys arrive at the sanctuary, they undergo rehabilitation at the monkey school where they learn how to live among their kind again, which is crucial for their mental well-being. Once they complete the rehabilitation phase, the monkeys are moved to various areas within the facility.