The Wild Futures monkey sanctuary in Looe, Cornwall, will close its doors after more than 60 years of operation. The charity announced the decision, stating that investing in the site's long-term future is not financially viable due to escalating maintenance costs and the sanctuary's unsuitability.
"We do not believe it would be responsible to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds into a site that is no longer suitable for the sanctuary's long-term future, and whose ongoing maintenance now far surpasses the financial resources we have available to us," said Sarah Hanson, the charity's director. "As such, we have made the difficult decision to direct funds towards securing a safe future for the monkeys."
The charity plans to launch an emergency appeal to cover the significant costs associated with safely rehoming every monkey. Wild Futures, which began by rescuing woolly monkeys from the pet trade, was the first Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredited wildlife sanctuary in Europe. Over the years, it educated hundreds of thousands of visitors on animal welfare, conservation, and the necessity of a ban on the pet trade.
Plans for a new buyer for the sanctuary fell through, leading to the necessity of rehoming all resident monkeys. Despite the sadness of closing the sanctuary, Wild Futures expressed hope for its future work and the next chapter for the organization, emphasizing that there is still important conservation and welfare work to be done.
