Rhesus Macaques, or Rhesus Monkeys, are a type of Old World monkey with a very broad geographical range. They inhabit grasslands, woodlands, mountains and urban areas across Central, Southern and South-East Asia. Rhesus macaques eat an omnivorous diet, consisting mostly of vegetation, roots, seeds, fruits, barks, insects and bird eggs. In the wild, rhesus macaques live in groups of up to 250 individuals. Females will mate with multiple males within the group, meaning all the males will care for the offspring, as the paternity is unknown. The lifespan of a rhesus macaque is approximately 30 years, often living longer in captivity. They are currently classed as “least concern” by the IUCN red list.
Meet Our Rhesus Macaques:
Secret Valley is home to four beautiful male Rhesus Macaques – Puyi, Tchang, Adriaan, and Basi. These boys arrived at the park in 2018 from Stichting AAP, an animal rescue organisation in the Netherlands. Used for animal testing, all four macaques were exported from China to university labs. Puyi and Tchang entered the labs in 2002, where they then fitted with caps and used for neurological testing. Co-operation during this research was achieved by depriving the macaques of water. Basi and Adriaan arrived at the labs in 2007 and endured the same treatment. In 2011, the macaques were rescued and taken to the AAP centre. Before their arrival, their collars and caps were removed, leaving large sores on their heads. The macaques also had to learn to drink water again, as they were not familiar with having water available to them.
The macaques are now thriving at Secret Valley. They love enrichment, training with their keepers and spend lots of time outside.
