Just A Little Reminder for Mondays that..

...Some People's Sole Daily Mission Is Simply To TICK YOU OFF!

So try not to bite!!!!

(P.S. - That's a chimp by the way so don't look at me like that)

Watch out Ladies - here comes Yeboah!

(Mjukuu (age 10) shows off a picture of Yeboah - via Daily Mail)

Hi Everybody! It's me - MoJo

There are three lonely female gorillas in a zoo in London that will soon be joined by a French Male Gorilla named Yeboah. Yeboah is a 12-year-old gorilla leaving his current home in at La Boissiere Du Dore Zoo in northwest France and headed to the British Capital by the end of the year as he packs his things.

The three female gorillas (Zaire (34), Effie (16), and Mjukuu (10))were given posters of Yeboah to prepare them for their new friend and they all went bonkers. One female gorilla shrieked in delight, while another wedged the poster in a tree to stare at it. A third, clearly overcome by emotion, held the photo close to her chest -- then ate it. This will be their first male visitor since last December.

For More on this story go to the London Zoo, the Daily Mail, and CNN

I wonder if they would like a poster of Me?

Bye
-MoJo

Helper Monkeys!

This is a topic that has been near and dear to my heart for a long time. Everyone knows that I am a helper monkey - but there is an organization called Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled

Helping Hands is a national non-profit organization that offers independence and hope to individuals with severe disabilities by training helper monkeys and placing them with such individuals. For over 30 years this organization has been doing great work by both giving jobs to monkeys and helping out humans who really need the help!

Right now they concentrate on training and placing monkeys, but in the next coming years they hope to extend their programs to developing permanent homes for retired monkeys - providing them the best care and medical support. This is a full program for working monkeys - from training, to placement, and finally to retirement.

As a helper monkey I know how important it is to help people, and to get proper training for working with humans. Recently I have been observing them with a family that doesn't need my help as much as others, but they have enabled me to learn more about humans, and how to spread my message to the rest of the world!

This is a cause very near and dear to my heart - so if you have some spare monies around, please do all that you can!

Website: http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/

For ways to support the organization and helper monkeys by multiple means (donations, time, their store, etc.) : http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/supportus/

They are even having a special event celebrating their 30th Anniversary - by buying a ticket to the event you can support them as well - http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/minisite/

Recently there have been many stories about Helping Hands:

One about the first veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan wars to receive a monkey from Helping Hands (but the group hopes he will not be the last)http://www.militarytimes.com/offduty/health/offduty_monkeyhelpers_072809/

A news story about Helping Hands (from Germany): http://www.rtl.de/rtlaktuell/rtl_aktuell_videoplayer.php?article=29234&p

And another news story from a FOX61 Connecticut. This one is excellent since they want to promote awareness of Helper Monkeys to individuals in Connecticut that may need it and they also try to let everyone know the difference between monkeys and chimps -to help alleviate any fears since the Travis incident that happened in Connecticut:

So any help that you could provide to my fellow Helper Monkeys would be appreciated!

Thanks!

-MoJo

Welcome Lara and Lucy!

Hello Lara and Lucy!

Lara and Lucy (pictured above) are two emperor tamarin monkey twin who were born in early July. The sad news is that their mother died from cancer on July 30th just three weeks after they were born. This made Lara and Lucy orphans - so sad. But the Denver Zoo stepped in and decided they would take them in and take care of them.

I'm sorry Lara and Lucy that your mother died. But there are monkeys out there (like me) that will look after you.

Let me know if there is anything I can do for you! (Denver Zoo - you can let me know too)

-MoJo

(Looking Good!)

Stress - So thats Why I have a belly!

I have a little bit of a belly. Most of you already know this from seeing pictures of me.

But I am always on the look out for ways to reduce it. I try dieting and working out - along with my already active lifestyle! But it doesn't go away. Some days are better than others, but wish I could be more fit. (Darn you Chocolate Bananas! why do you tempt me so). Anyway a new study came out that links stress to fat- specifically fat around the stomach and specifically in monkeys. Now I am not looking for excuses, but if its true then maybe I have to take a look at my life and get rid of any stress.

(I'm looking at you Fred.)

Click Here to go to this study in Times Magazine.

- MoJo

Donkey Kong Shelves

Donkey Kong Shelves were made to look like the video game Donkey Kong. Jeeves tells me that Donkey Kong (an Ape), is the Villain of the game. He is the pet of a carpenter named Jumpman (aka Mario). The carpenter mistreats the ape, so Donkey Kong escapes and kidnaps Jumpman's girlfriend. The object of the game is to rescue the girl (as Jumpman).

Enough about the game - now check out these Shelves! Pretty cool - they look like the game (complete with a Ape on top!)

Monkey Theft!

Eight rare species of Brazilian monkeys were stolen from a century-old Alipore Zoo in West Bengal, India last Sunday.

Two guards that were in charge of guarding the cages, where the monkeys were kept, were arrested and the zoo director was suspended.

A new zoo director will be named shortly said Forest Minister Ananta Roy.

We will keep you posted if we find out anything more about this crime or the whereabouts of the monkeys.

(But maybe the humans didn't do anything wrong? Maybe they didn't do anything and the monkeys escaped! Or perhaps the guards helped them escape. Just some thoughts from one monkey. )

-MoJo

For more on this story: http://www.ptinews.com/news/222871_Monkey-theft--Alipore-zoo-director-suspended and http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/529170