Monkey Life

★ 6.2 · 2007 · 30m · Documentary

Monkey Life was created in 2006 and has continuously documented the work of Dr. Alison Cronin, MBE and her team at Monkey World; Ape Rescue Centre. Filmed at Monkey World in Dorset, Monkey Life follows the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and neglected primates. Many have mental as well as physical problems so the Primate Care Staff treat their individual needs until they can be reintegrated with primates of their own kind. The primates at the park range from apes, who were taken from the wild as babies and used as photographers props on Spanish beaches to monkeys, many of which were rescued from the UK pet trade. With unparalleled access Monkey World's dedicated team are filmed dealing with medical emergencies, primate moves, births and sometimes heart-breaking decisions. We follow Dr. Alison Cronin, MBE around the globe as she continues the park's mission to rescue abused primates. Monkey Life documents the daily life and drama of the world’s largest primate rescue centre.

Episodes

▶1. Episode 130m · The Nursery chimps get the better of Animal Manager Jeremy, but he has his revenge! We also meet chimpanzee Paddy, who’s been the perfect leader of his group for more than 15 years. And we find out why new alpha male Hananya is struggling with life at the top. There’s tension when a baby Woolly Monkey is born, but instead of being tucked up with mum, it’s been rejected. Will the endangered primate survive without human intervention?▶2. Episode 230m · There is a challenge for the staff as four chimps ‘move house’ on one day in the park’s biggest move around yet. Baby chimps Ash and Rodders have breakfast at home with keepers Emma and Paul. And, as Monkey World is the European crèche for baby orang-utans who need a home, there is news from Russia of an orang-utan orphan who needs a family.▶3. Episode 330m · Keeper Mike is on a mission in Moscow for a baby orang-utan called Joly, while back at the park her future home has been built. And in Paddy’s chimp group, Eddi has a ‘toddler tantrum’. She’s growing up which means having to fend for herself, and she is not happy about it!▶4. Episode 430m · Orphaned baby orang-utan Joly arrives at the park from Moscow, but her new housemate Hsiao-Ning is not pleased to see her! There is another new arrival at the park as orang-utan Ro-Ro gives birth, and animal manager Jeremy captures the incredible moment on camera. Unlike Ro-Ro’s first attempt at motherhood, all the signs look good – but the baby must feed.▶5. Episode 530m · One of the park’s most lovable characters, chimpanzee Charlie has to undergo emergency dental surgery, and the damage is worse than expected. Ro-Ro is having trouble feeding her new baby daughter and the team intervenes. Chimp Seamus has failed to make any friends in Hananya’s group, so he’s moved back to his old nursery troop.▶6. Episode 630m · We catch up with Carli and Gypsy, the two newest chimp hooligans who have joined the boisterous bachelor group. Jim and Alison are on a rescue mission to Hungary to collect stump-tailed macaque Koko. She has been living in a pet-shop cage for 20 years and the team gets a feisty greeting.▶7. Episode 730m · Nerves run high as the team attempts a first at the park: a surrogate mum for a newborn baby orang-utan. The orang-utan nursery mob love spending time in their new outside enclosure, and stubborn Hsiao-Ning is even starting to enjoy life! And in Hananya’s group, Patricia is being pursued by the alpha male.▶8. Episode 830m · The bachelor boys are up t their usual hooligan tricks, and there is concern when chimp Joline is struck down by a mystery illness. Elsewhere, stump-tailed macaque Koko is introduced to the great outdoors after 20 years in a pet-shop cage, and baby woolly monkey, Julio is coming on in leaps and bounds as he’s introduced to his woolly monkey family.▶9. Episode 930m · New recruit Koko, a stump-tailed macaque, meets her first companion in years: old boy Gerald. Dinda is about to embark on a new life with her orang-utan family, and we meet Gismo, a capuchin with a tragic past. And there is great excitement when golden-cheeked gibbons Peanut and Pung-Yo welcome a new arrival to their family.▶10. Episode 1030m · It is time for baby woolly monkey Julio to leave his life living with humans. There is a shocking exit from the park for a capuchin monkey family when, 18 months after their rescue, a court order means they have to leave. After a year-long struggle, preparations begin for the rescue of a three-year-old chimp Bryan, who was stolen from West Africa and has been living as a photographer’s prop in Mexico. And it’s time for baby woolly monkey Julio to leave his life living with humans and join his woolly monkey family full-time.▶11. Episode 1130m · Jim and Alison are on a special mission to Cancun in Mexico. They have travelled 5,000 miles to collect a lively three-year-old chimp called Bryan, who has been mistreated by his owner and needs a home with his own kind. Jim and Alison must prepare Bryan for the long and difficult journey back to Dorset. Meanwhile, Alison is frustrated in her efforts to rescue an adult chimp named Coco, who belongs to the same owner.▶12. Episode 1230m · Toddler chimpanzee Bryan recovers from his 5,000-mile journey from Mexico and settles in to his new home with a hearty breakfast from Lee. There’s a medical crisis for chimp Joline when her loss of hair, stiff joints and lack of appetite prompt the vets’ concern. Will exploratory surgery explain what is wrong with her?▶13. Episode 1330m · The vets examine 17-year-old chimpanzee Freddie, who does not seem to be his usual boisterous self, and the staff wait to see if chimp Joline will recover from her mystery illness. In the nursery, youngsters Pip and Ben take a big step when they venture outside to play for the first time, and their new housemate, Bryan, is given a health check.▶14. Episode 1430m · Mexican monkey Bryan meets his chimp foster mum Sally, but no one is sure if he has been around another chimpanzee before. How will he react to his new mother? Elsewhere, Jim comes to the aid of lovable primate Charlie, who is being picked on by the other males in his group, especially at meal times. And the park faces an irreplaceable loss. Jim Cronin, has sadly passed away after a short battle with cancer. Will Alison and the team manage to keep his legacy alive?

More Like This

Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake

2025

Pete meets the four-legged friends that call the UK's leading dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, home. From when they are rescued, Pete plays an instrumental role in their rehabilitation process, right up until the point the dogs are safely rehomed.

More info →

Matriarch

Dr Jane Goodall first began studying the chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania in 1960. Her pioneering work forever changed the way we understand the species. The series focuses entirely on the stories of the females of Gombe for the first time.

More info →

Spy in the Troop

The series will deploy the most advanced Spy Creatures ever created to infiltrate groups of apes and monkeys. Sophisticated AI will enhance the Spies ability to communicate, allowing them to use the same calls and facial expressions as the primates they encounter.

More info →

Becoming Orangutan

2022 · ★ 8

Get an intimate look inside the Orangutan Jungle School in the heart of Borneo. Survey this sanctuary, where orphaned orangutans learn survival skills, make friends, and navigate the journey to adulthood as they prepare to return to the wild.

More info →

Baby Chimp Rescue

2020

How do you cope when you suddenly become surrogate parents to 21 orphaned chimps? Jim and Jenny Desmond have chimps overrunning their home and even their bed.

More info →

Jungle Animal Rescue

2020 · ★ 6

A land of elephants, tigers, leopards and bears, India is one of the most biodiverse countries on earth. But it's also home to 1.3 billion people who increasingly compete with wild animals for living space. Now, a dedicated team of conservationists and vets are on a mission to rescue animals in distress and find a way for India's people and wildlife to coexist in harmony.

More info →

Animal SOS

2014

Documentary series following the work of the RSPCA, filming as calls come in to the national control centre and following inspectors on the ground as they deal with everything from injured wildlife to neglected pets.

More info →

Ambulances animales

2016

Follow the daily lives of first responders who rescue animals. The series showcases the hectic workdays of animal paramedics, veterinarians, dog handlers, wildlife experts and animal shelter staff members as they respond to emergency calls in the Montreal area. Featuring dramatic rescues, special transportation methods, intensive care or emergency operations.

More info →