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Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p>Mojo, a common marmoset, sticks out his tongue while inside a runway that connects him and 25 other marmosets to their outside-inside habitats at the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary.</p>

Mojo, a common marmoset, sticks out his tongue while inside a runway that connects him and 25 other marmosets to their outside-inside habitats at the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary.

The volunteers at the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary don't come to monkey around.

The 12-acre sanctuary, located north of Gainesville at 13915 N. State Road 121, has been open since 1999 and is home to 120 monkeys, including white-faced capuchins, brown-faced capuchins, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, marmosets and tamarin monkeys.

"We are looking for dedicated, committed volunteers," said Mimi Sanada, the apprentice caregiver since July.

There are several open positions for volunteers, ranging from office work to caring for the monkeys, according to Ashlei Martin, a former apprentice and employee at the Jacksonville Zoo.

A couple months before Sanada arrived at Jungle Friends, the sanctuary rescued a group of monkeys from another sanctuary, which was basically a roadside zoo.

Three infant monkeys that were rejected from their mothers were able to be saved.

"I had the opportunity to nurse them back to health and socialize them with other monkeys," Sanada said. "That is definitely one of the most fulfilling experiences I been able to be a part of."

Most of the monkeys at Jungle Friends were obtained from owners who were illegally keeping monkeys, from medical research facilities or from the entertainment industry, according to junglefriends.org.

Jungle Friends provides a natural environment for the monkeys, giving them the same surroundings as if they were living in the wild.

The sanctuary was originally started in Las Vegas, but the climate was too dry for the "New World" monkeys, or monkeys originating from the Americas, said Kari Bagnall, the founder of Jungle Friends.

The Gainesville weather, along with the presence of UF's veterinary school, was the perfect new home for the sanctuary.

"Just being able to wake up every day and being able to give these monkeys a second chance to live in a natural environment is completely worth the effort," Martin said.

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People interested in volunteering for Jungle Friends can call 386-462-7779 or email the staff at info@junglefriends.org.

Mojo, a common marmoset, sticks out his tongue while inside a runway that connects him and 25 other marmosets to their outside-inside habitats at the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary.

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