Sentinel Update 🧸
Sentinel has been with us since he was just a week old, after he lost his mum in a road accident. He’s been growing big and strong, getting ready to meet his foster mum alongside fellow orphan Vlad.
Sadly, shortly after meeting monkey foster mum Pan at Skunkey, our integration team became concerned when Sentinel became lethargic, had laboured breathing, and stopped wanting to drink. He was immediately removed from the group, assessed by our team, and rushed to the vets as we feared his body was going into shock.
It’s likely he picked up an infection and struggled to fight it off on his own. With antibiotics, fluids, and lots of TLC, he’s now almost back to his normal self 🫶
If all continues to go well, he should be reunited with Vlad and Pan next week once we’ve confirmed he’s fully recovered.
Please send all your healing wishes his way ❤️🩹
🐒 Fiona 🦇
Fiona, our double amputee at Dino & Daniel, sometimes makes us wonder if she might secretly be part bat - the way she launches herself off branches is truly something else. It’s completely unique to her, that’s for sure!
No arms? No problem. She continues to amaze us every day with her adaptability.
Go Fiona! 💛
Jyperd Is Growing Up! 🌱
Our tiniest orphan ever at VMF is growing up fast. Jyperd has been with us for just over two months now, and the change in him has been incredible. He now weighs more than twice what he did when he first arrived and is slowly gaining confidence on the branches.
All he needs now is to grow a little bigger and continue building that confidence before he can begin the process of meeting his foster mum.
We can’t believe how much you’ve grown, little one, and we can’t wait to see you continue to thrive 💚
From Lost to Loved 🤍
When Unalii arrived last season, he was one of our most heartbreaking cases. After losing his mum in a road accident, he didn’t know how to survive without her. He had lost all hope and watching him give up was incredibly hard.
Then he met his monkey foster mum, Eliza.
Fast forward one year, and just look at him. An extremely fluffy boy, full of sass and a zest for life we once feared he’d lost.
Cases like Unalii’s are tough in the beginning… but seeing him thrive like this reminds us exactly why we do what we do.
So proud of you, Unalii 🐒✨
Naming Competition Results 🥳
Watch the video to find out the names chosen for our next two male orphan arrivals 💙
We’ll be sure to introduce them properly once they arrive.
If you still want the chance to name a baby monkey, you can sponsor a name for one of our upcoming arrivals with a €150 donation. This contribution helps support their care and their journey to foster mums & troops.
If you’re interested, please email us at info@vervet.za.org for more information.
Thank you to everyone who commented, shared, and continues to support us - we hope you’ll stay tuned for their journeys 🐒💫
✨2025 Recap ✨
Happy New Year to our amazing team, supporters amd VMF family 💚
We ended 2025 with a severe storm on 26 December and only recently regained electricity and intermittent internet. Thank you for your patience - and an enormous thank you to everyone who responded to our urgent appeal. Your support means the world to us 🙏
🌿 2025 Achievements 🌿
🐒 Vervet Monkey Foundation UK officially became a UK-registered charity
✔️ PASA & GFAS re-accreditations successfully passed after on-site inspections
🐵 32 monkeys rescued as orphans and juveniles electrocutions, pellet gun injuries, farms, road accidents, snares, poisonings, bushmeat, and ex-pet situations
👶 All orphaned monkeys successfully integrated with foster mums
💞 2 adult integrations completed successfully (Roman & Jane)
🌍 5 monkeys returned to their wild troops
✂️ 18 male monkeys vasectomised
🏥 27 vet visits
🤍 77 volunteers, including returning volunteers and long-term interns
🔥 Early heat contingency plans implemented — with zero losses
🐵 Baby of the Year virtual adoption – Georgie launched
📚 Education outreach: school talks plus 71 children visiting the sanctuary
🎓 39 university students from Vives visited
🎉 9 UK events attended + a fundraiser dinner at Vegivores
🌍 4 European events, including the International Animal Rights Conference
💰 IPPL grant support helped sustain vital operations
🏡 COTH cabin renovation completed, offering upgraded accommodation for families and guests
Which monkey from 2025 left the biggest mark on your heart?
For now, from all of us at VMF… THANK YOU 💚🐒
Tongue Out Tuesday with Manu 😛
Our latest arrival, Manu, came to us on the day of the devastating storm, after Director Dave and baby intern Anna travelled nearly six hours to collect him. We don’t know much about his history - only that he was kept as a pet and arrived clutching a blue blanket he clearly used for comfort 💙
When Manu first arrived, he was unsure of the other babies and chose to focus his attention on the humans instead. Fast forward just a few days, and he’s already made huge progress - now settled on the feeding cage and confidently exploring on his own. A big change from the scared little boy who first came through our doors.
Manu will soon be joining Kent as he prepares to meet a new mum. Because we’re unsure how long he spent in human care, the sooner he can return to a natural setting, the better. Our three criteria for babies meeting monkey foster mums are:
✔️ at least 6 weeks old
✔️ healthy
✔️ confidently drinking from the feeding cage
Manu meets all three, and we couldn’t be more excited to see him take the next step to joining a troop🌿💫
If you want to be in the chance to name one of our next babies, check out our previous post 💙
🐒✨ FREE NAMING COMPETITION ✨🐒
We’re looking for baby boy names for our next 2 orphan arrivals 💙 (they haven’t arrived yet but we are sure they will soon)
Every orphan is named during baby care, where they’re given everything they need to grow strong and feel safe - milk bottles, soft blankets, comforting teddies, ID microchips, and round-the-clock love before they meet their monkey foster mum. Normally this privilege costs $150.
We’re opening this up as a naming competition! This competition wouldn’t have been possible without a generous donation from DanielC who has also previously given the chance for others to name arrivals last year.
Two names will be chosen on 4th January during our YouTube livestream & we will announce the chosen names 🎥✨
To enter (free of charge), put your favourite boy names in the comments or on Youtube during our livestream 🐵
We can`t wait to see the names everyone comments 💙
🐵 The orphans in this video already have names - you will be naming our next two boy arrivals 🐵
