The juvenile cage in the backyard.
The old cage stands empty, escape doors ajar. Thunbergia vines trellised around the lower walls grow up the chainlink now, unplucked by busy hands and tails.
This cage is a juvenile enclosure, for young monkeys ready to play and explore while still within parental sight. Here they can see me through my study window sitting at the computer, or see the whole great room through the kitchen window...and I can watch them.
But no more young spider monkeys have come to us for rehabilitation in the past year, and Chiquito and Lolita have moved out and up.
This cage is a juvenile enclosure, for young monkeys ready to play and explore while still within parental sight. Here they can see me through my study window sitting at the computer, or see the whole great room through the kitchen window...and I can watch them.
But no more young spider monkeys have come to us for rehabilitation in the past year, and Chiquito and Lolita have moved out and up.
AJ adds ballast while Uriel welds!
Construction of the new cage(s) took longer than expected, but the extra time allowed us to make changes in design as we went. In the end we have:
- two cages that can be opened into one big cage via the upper middle wall
- a "hatch door" between the two sides that is raised and lowered from outside
- a double-door escape area (with a heavy automatic outer door closure)
- drains in the tile floors on both sides
- a water spigot outside the cages for cleaning
- a roof covering half of the top to provide both sunshine and shelter
- more vertical "space" than horizontal square footage
- natural furnishings including bamboo shelters; trees and limbs for climbing; rope and bamboo ladders for swinging on; and wooden perches placed in the trees for sitting on
- limited access to the cage for humans via two gates and stairs on the side
- two cages that can be opened into one big cage via the upper middle wall
- a "hatch door" between the two sides that is raised and lowered from outside
- a double-door escape area (with a heavy automatic outer door closure)
- drains in the tile floors on both sides
- a water spigot outside the cages for cleaning
- a roof covering half of the top to provide both sunshine and shelter
- more vertical "space" than horizontal square footage
- natural furnishings including bamboo shelters; trees and limbs for climbing; rope and bamboo ladders for swinging on; and wooden perches placed in the trees for sitting on
- limited access to the cage for humans via two gates and stairs on the side
When a freak windstorm with gusts of up to 60 mph downed large segments of several trees on our upper property a few weeks ago, we turned them into natural vertical climbing for the monkeys. Since even live trees growing in large pre-release cages are often stripped of all foliage, we just used the trunks and limbs.
Oscar with the "trees" trimmed for the cages.
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Oscar and Paul maneuver the trees into the cages.
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Chiquito had been watching the construction of the new cages from the juvenile enclosure, so his introduction was quick and easy. Here is a You-Tube video of it:
In the cage full time for over three weeks now, Chiquito is active and happy (based on spider monkey whinny vocalizations which indicate pleasure). Paul closes the sliding hatch door to keep him in the opposite side when he enters the cage for cleaning each morning, so there is no direct human contact except through the chainlink.
At just a year-and-a-half of age, Lolita is less thrilled about spending her days where she can't see Mom. She could have continued to play in the juvenile cage for a few more months, but companionship with her own species is more important...although she and Chiquito still do not yet occupy the whole cage together. Lolita continues to spend the night in our bedroom in her (ever shrinking) playpen.
At just a year-and-a-half of age, Lolita is less thrilled about spending her days where she can't see Mom. She could have continued to play in the juvenile cage for a few more months, but companionship with her own species is more important...although she and Chiquito still do not yet occupy the whole cage together. Lolita continues to spend the night in our bedroom in her (ever shrinking) playpen.
New cage to the left of the garage.
The entrance to our house is gated now, providing more privacy and protection for the monkeys. | 
New cage from the back yard.
In addition to the main entry gate, there is a gate to the backyard, and a gate at the top of the steps to the cages. | 
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