Freed After 8 Years Alone, Circus Monkey Has Emotional Reaction to Seeing His Own Kind

A spider monkey named Pepe was stolen from the jungle in Peru and put to work in a roadside circus. The poor monkey was kept chained and alone for eight years before the rescue efforts of Animal Defenders International (ADI) finally freed him.

Jan Creamer and Tim Phillips, who work with ADI, were on hand when Pepe was freed and brought to their temporary shelter. They noted that when he was rescued, he was like “a frightened teenager.”

“When they brought him out of the travel crate he was so gentle it was really heartwarming and heartbreaking, all at the same time,” said Creamer. But despite his terrible ordeal, Pepe trusted them. The rescuers knew it was not fair for Pepe to continue being alone, but as the organization worked with the government, they became aware of another spider monkey being kept at a restaurant. They rescued the monkey, named Valerie, and brought her to meet Pepe. To say Pepe’s reaction is heartwarming is an understatement.

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Pepe and Valerie immediately loved each other. Shortly after, as Creamer began to leave the compound, Pepe ran to the edge of his enclosure and called out to her, trilling a loud “thank you.”

ADI wrote of their reunion, “Pepe had been alone, chained, without the company of his kind in a circus for eight long years. Valerie was saved from a restaurant where she had been on display. It was magical to see them reach out to each other and hear them chattering away! The greatest gift we can give these animals is the company of their own kind.”

Here’s a longer video of Pepe meeting Valerie for the first time.

The rescue group noted, “After this, more and more rescued spider monkeys joined Pepe’s family and a few months later they were all flown to a specially built ADI sanctuary habitat at Pilpintuwasi in the Amazon forest. That was ten years ago and the monkeys are still together enjoying their forest home.”

At the sanctuary they are looked after and also have freedom to roam and swing from the trees. ADI noted that the monkeys have been there for nearly 10 years now, but that the sanctuary is in urgent need of repair and improvements. You can make a donation at Animal Defenders International.