Last year was a difficult year for the foundation but so far things are looking up for 2009 and we have big plans this year.

In 2008, we had a few cases of tuberculosis confirmed in some of our vervets so we are now following strict protocols and have a vet here regularly to test the rest of the monkeys for tb. This is a long process and as you can imagine it’s not easy to first catch the monkeys and then sedate them before the tests are done. Thanks to PASA's help, this is all achievable.

Tb in primates is usually contracted from humans as vervets would not usually be exposed to it in their natural habitats. For this reason we are ensuring every member of staff and all volunteers that come to the centre are to be tested with either skin test or chest x-ray before working with the monkeys to protect the long term future of the vervets. Both Martine (a vet from Hoedspruit) as well as the government vet have been helping us with skin and blood tests for the monkeys.

In addition, we have a volunteer vet joining us this year and have been lucky enough to obtain 4 boxes of veterinary supplies thanks to PASA for organising it along with our volunteers Doug, Korina & Chris for bringing them out.

As for other news, Smoky is the last monkey to be moved from Block A up to Goliath so the construction team have started to pull the old enclosure down. Ghosty from one of the old blocks has also been moved to Goliath - more on enclosure updates next month.

Lorna is back for a month as she just can't stay away too long much like many others! The VMF seems to draw many volunteers back time and time again, there's definitely something magical about the monkeys...

Alisa Cullen, Anthony Criddle, Morgan Corn, Heledd Baskerville, Genevieve Read, Stacey Bedwell, Anna Cooper, Anne Crofts, Lesley Bates, Rekha Kuna, Katharine Hill, Claire Stephenson, Korina Hunt, Doug French

Project Manager – Tricia Rose (previously an i-to-I volunteer) has been appointed as Project Manager to oversee that everything runs smoothly, efficient and productive as possible. So far she is doing a fantastic job and we gladly welcome her as a member of the VMF team.

Voluntary Veterinary Positions – Michael Kuwong (a vet from Cameroon), will be joining us this month for approx one year in a voluntary veterinary position. Romain Lacoste (a vet from France) will also be joining us for a few months from April. We have other openings for volunteer vets and hope to have a succession of short term vets as well as one long term vet on site. We are offering tented / cabin accommodation and vegetarian meals for vets who are able to help us. Please e-mail info@vervet.za.org if you are interested.

Lastly, we say goodbye and thank you to Debbie & Steve Greensmith (previous co-ordinators) & Lisa Mallins (sickbay) who have returned to the UK.

The Brevard Zoo has recently received a grant from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to create a team soccer uniform for a school selected by and near to each PASA sanctuary.

We have chosen Rainbow Combined School who visited last year with a group of 60 school children. This school showed a genuine interest in the vervets and conservation and so it is an honour to be able to provide them with a soccer kit. Presentations will be given to the school and a follow up to see the impact of the uniforms on the children’s eagerness to learn about primate conservation and what they have learnt.

The soccer t-shirts will have a picture of a vervet monkey on the front as well as our logo and the sponsors logos.

More to come on this in our next newsletters.

We are planning to put up a small education centre and shop on the foundation. We also hope to be able to have a small group of day visitors once a week on a Sunday afternoon to educate them about vervets and to show them round some of the sanctuary, Hilde has offered to help with when she returns. The outcome of the education centre will enable people and school children to see vervets in a more positive light and also generate a good feel in the community.

Tricia will be attending the PASA Education workshop in March to gain more ideas and see the best ways of getting the information across.

This year will be a great year for education and we hope to be able to organize more school visits to help the younger generation to learn more about vervets and how to protect them which will hopefully pass on the same level of care to other animals too.

Daniel Grove will be doing a 90mile sponsored walk to raise funds for the education centre. The target amount to raise is approx R20,000 and we are looking at a deadline of May 2009 to start the project.

After three glorious months in Africa, volunteering at the VMF, the return to the western world and a desk-bound job has come as a bit of a culture shock. If I'm honest, I had already decided that I'd be going back to the VMF before I had even left – life just isn't the same without monkeys! In the meantime, I started wondering how I could focus my energies and still be of use to the foundation until the time comes for me to return.

Sat at my desk one morning at work, feeling more than a little sour about the prospect of being away from Africa and my monkey friends for a further nine months, an idea struck me. In summer 2008 I'd attempted to walk the Ridgeway; a 90 mile national trail that winds its way through stunning countryside and woodland, including the Chiltern Hills, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. Unfortunately that trip was cancelled after the first night on the trail, when my tent proved to be about as waterproof as a sieve in the heavy rains that fell for most of that week.

Having now acquired a much better (waterproof) tent, I thought, why not go back but do it to raise money for the VMF? Within about 2 minutes of coming up with the idea, I had booked the time off work and emailed Josie to tell her what I was doing and see how the VMF could help me raise sponsorship money for them.

The walk should take somewhere in the region of 4 or 5 days, starting on Saturday 21st March, and camping on the trail each night, cooking dinner on a little portable gas stove.
Please click the sponsor button to donate money for Daniel's 90 mile walk.

You can add this button to your facebook profile or other blog sites by clicking the share button - please share with as many people as poss.

The money donated will go towards building an education centre at the foundation (and a crate of bananas for Gedafie if I have my way). As you probably know, one of the biggest problems that we face in the fight for Vervet Monkey conservation, is that people simply don't understand them. Monkeys are killed unnecessarily every day, and the foundation has been working to change this for some time. A proper education centre that local schools can visit in order to educate the next generation has the potential to make a big difference and maybe convert a few locals to the cause too.

Thank you to all who have sponsored Daniel so far - 5% of the funds have already been raised from having the sponsor button. Sponsors include Rob Tuppen, Elena Dodd, Elena Bersacola, Oliver Thornton and Dawn Ryder.

Please e-mail josie@vervet.za.org if you are doing a sponsored event and would like a VMF sponsor form.

During the last few months, I have been fortunate enough to be able to become familiar with many members of the resident bandit troop on their frequent visits to the garden, ensuring they get their de-worming meds etc. It's great to see who is friends with who and to just watch them playing and interacting with each other in the early evening hours so I thought I would write an update on them as they are often seen as just in the background.

Skinnie Minnie as some of you may remember from previous newsletters is doing exceptionally well and we can hardly call her Skinnie anymore! Sadly Skinnie lost her baby a few months ago (the first one of last year) but she is now full of vitality and a much stronger monkey than she used to be. She has a very gentle nature and always makes sure she looks around to see if there are other vervets around before taking her share of food. She is even getting brave enough to cheekily pull Rubin’s tail when she follows Dave to the cottage in the mornings!

The troop start off by the cottage and near the house early before monitoring starts. The juniors and babies are seen playing in the early morning sun and then they are off in search of vegetation for the day and continue their route further down the foundation.

When the other bandits venture out for the day, eating figs, marulas and other niceties, Teardrop 2 and Sad Eyes tend to hang around near the house and in the trees both looking after Teardrops 2’s baby and taking it easy.

If there is a feed, Skinnie is usually the one left to look after all the babies, she seems to enjoy her time with them and spends quality time grooming and playing with them whilst all the mums pig out on a feast!

Excuse some anthropomorphic terms below, it’s often easier for people to relate to behaviours.

Colonel Mustard (a golden coloured vervet) is the alpha male and makes it quite clear to Rabi to back off when he approaches. He is well respected by the other members of the troop.

Rabi – he’s having a tough time at the moment as he’s been pushed out from the top and so sees the need to defend everything to hang on to his last bit of pride! He doesn’t give up without a fight but is older and not so youthful anymore so Mustard gets the better of him everytime although lately they have been seen to be more accepting of each other and even eat together!

Teardrop – her left ear is torn she’s a very good mum and always appears to be holding her baby close as if to protect it from danger.

Teadrop2 – is a very happy monkey, she’s very vocal and is usually around the house first thing in the morning. She seems to have no fear but isn’t aggressive in nature either. She has a bald right arm. She looks similar in appearance to Teardrop (hence the name Teardrop 2) and is friends with Sad eyes.

Rosie – she has the type of face that always makes one feel sorry for her and is very sweet natured. Her right foot is slightly curled over as she injured it a while ago so sometimes holds it up when she runs.

Ewok – is a golden coloured junior who likes to tease Rubin (my dog) by head bobbing at him. He jumps back when you go near him and is very curious. He has a very triangular head.

Flash – always gives you the impression that he is eyebrowing you but actually it’s just the white flash marks above his eyebrows. He likes to get what he wants whenever he can and him and Rubin spend lots of time teasing each other with different facial expressions.

Hazel – she has a very straight brow and is quite stern looking. She doesn’t take any flak and will always be the first out of the mums and babies to eat if there is food around. She seems to run from nowhere when another vervet is eating to make sure no-one pushes the queue in the hierarchy.

Fluffy-chops – is the most adorable looking junior, very pretty but quite shy.

Mini Koko – smaller version of Colonel Mustard with pink around his eyes.

Sad eyes – a very low ranked female who has the facial expression of someone who is very sad with a permanent frown. She hangs around with Teardrop 2 and is usually the last to eat any scraps the other bandits may leave behind.

The Bully – there’s usually trouble when he’s around, he is more golden in colour and doesn’t let anyone get in the way. The females try to chase him off.

Grey male – surprisingly gentle male, sometimes seen with Skinnie, eats v slowly and is an opportunist. He has hands that stick out like a frogs!

Grouch, eyebrows and junior – 'the terrible trio' of which Grouch is leader of. These juniors hang round together getting up to mischief. Grouch has a face like a cross granny and is v confident. Eyebrows likes to pretend to stick up for his friends and has a ‘it wasn’t me’ attitude.

Almond eyes – very pretty eyes, shaped like almonds, always seems very genuine and avoids fights.

Skinnie's junior - looks just like Skinnie, similar behaviours and also gentle.

That's all from the resident bandit troop!

We rely solely on volunteers and public donations to keep the place going and so would like to thank the following:

• Melissa Liggio $25
• Julie Kirkley £25
• Peter & Diana Grove (Sitecrew Limited) £25
• Lee Healy 325 Euros
• Mark MIchaliszyn - $250
• Eveline Vos - gave a generous donation which will help with many projects
• Stacey Bedwell & Anna Cooper for bringing PASA education colouring books from UK
• Lorna Wilkie for bringing PASA colouring books from UK on her return
• Doug French, Korina Hunt & Chris Russell for bringing veterinary supplies over from US
• Margaret & Ian Brown (previous volunteers) for buying a whole bunch of food for the monkeys on a return day visit
• A big thank you to Steve & Annette who have been helping with the volunteers whilst Tricia was away in UK
• Tricia for bringing t-shirts and other items from UK on her return

Thank you to all our volunteers long and short term who continue to dedicate themselves to the vervets.

Anita Keij, Sarita Gulati, Jude Roycroft (return), Michaela Rowley, Fanny Bollaerts, Hannah Belling, Jennie Morant, Jose van der loos, Lys Stevens, Harry Kennard, Joanna Armson, Kristina Tomcek, Jamie Nyholt, Kirstie Lamirand, Mark Mrzyglocki (return), Simone & Chelsy Skovron, Heather Alford, Sue Jackson (return), Jason Hollows, Natasha Hollows, Carol Hollows, Elizabeth Whitehouse, Denise Kunz, Dawn Patrick, Debbie & Steve Greensmith, Lisa Mallins, Yvonne Lund, Jacqui Legget, Julie Nielson, Loz Newbery, Journey Paulus, Asmara Baier.