Born to be wild: another vervet troop released
It’s been a long time in the making, the journey from rescues to rehabilitation processes to integrating these vervet monkeys into a cohesive troop ready to take on the challenges of life back in the wild. Here’s a snapshot of some of the key moments.
Health checks
It was back in 2023, after we released Tao and his troop, that we identified the next group of vervet monkeys for a full-troop release. Preparing for that transition, however, is a process that can take years! It began in earnest with health checks for the whole troop – something we do routinely for all primates in our care at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre.
Preparing for the wild
The next big step towards release was moving the monkeys into a special enclosure at the Wildlife Centre, designed to prepare them for life in the wild. Here, they explored a habitat filled with indigenous trees and learned all about seed pods and the wild fruits they’d encounter once released.
Pre-release enclosure
Once we were happy with the behaviours and cohesion the troop was exhibiting, we began construction on their final pre-release enclosure inside a national park. We carefully select all of our release sites – considering factors like extensive tree cover, access to food and water as well as the impact on existing wildlife in the area.
The enclosure, made with purpose-built flat-pack panels for reuse, provides a transition period for the troop to get used to the sights and sounds of their new environment for a few weeks before they’re fully released.
With the rainy season providing sufficient food and water for a successful transition back to the wild, the troop was finally ready to head to the release site.
During their weeks in the pre-release enclosure, we monitored the troop for signs of stress – and to check they were making appropriate alarm calls and predator responses if they encountered threats.
Freedom!
Finally, the day came and we released the entire troop of monkeys back into the wild!
For three days after release we tracked the vervets, observing them exploring, foraging, and loving their new life – where they belong.
Many of these monkeys were rescued as young orphans, their mothers killed for bushmeat or in human-wildlife conflict. After years of bottle feeding, rehab, integrations, and enrichment, it’s immensely rewarding to give them a second chance at life back in the wild.
