Ruby, a female Bonnet Macaque Monkey was rescued from her handlers when we were alerted by supporters that they were beating her with a stick and trying to cut off her tail, as a punishment as she had bitten one of them. She was being used on the beaches for begging.
Because of what she has undoubtedly been through in her life of captivity, Ruby has very severe psychological problems. When she first came, she would hide under a blanket the whole time just reaching her arm out for food. She would also wrap herself up in any cloth, hug herself, and rock endlessly.
She had no idea she was a monkey and took no interest in the others at all. If put near any of them she would just scream and hide, although she happily made friends with cats. After several weeks of intensive care she started to respond. She tolerated Tufty and fell in love with John, who was spending most time with her. This was also a set back as she then refused to be handled at all by any female, as she saw them as competition for her man!
Since she came in she has made tremendous progress and although she still has psychological problems and returns to rocking at times. When Tuffty and his troop were all babies she loved playing with them and mothered them. However sadly she could not accept Tuffty becoming the boss of the troop which led to such terrible fights she has had to be taken out for her own safety, although it was invariably her initiating the attack!
Although frightened of water at first, she has now overcome this fear and as with the other macaques she enjoys swimming and goes for daily walks.
She now shares a pen with Lavender and the three youngest macaques, Dennis, Dixie and Kochi.
