Darwin, the famous Japanese macaque from the Toronto Ikea parking lot incident, demonstrates a keen awareness of cameras and swiftly evades them within his enclosure. The 13-year-old monkey, rescued as a baby in 2012 from the parking lot while wearing a diaper and coat, now resides at the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Sunderland, Ontario.
Daina Liepa, the sanctuary’s executive director, recalls Darwin’s early days and notes his unusual behavior of walking on two legs, a trait not typical for Japanese macaques. She believes his human upbringing has made him wary of strangers, a consequence of being thrust into human environments against his will.
Celebrating the 13th anniversary of Darwin’s sanctuary life, Liepa shares that he enjoys swinging indoors and munching on grapes. Plans are underway to introduce him to Chiquita, a fellow Japanese macaque resident, for companionship. Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, the sole primate sanctuary in Canada currently housing 24 monkeys and lemurs, faces space constraints but collaborates with other sanctuaries like Fauna in Quebec to provide care for additional animals.
Liepa mentions a recent challenge where they had to decline two monkeys due to lack of space, marking their first refusal in history. New arrivals often require urgent medical attention, having endured hardships in the exotic animal trade. The responsibility to care for these animals frequently falls on sanctuaries, highlighting the need for stricter regulations to curb the exotic animal trade in Ontario.
Labchuk, an animal rights advocate, stresses the urgency for provincial laws to safeguard animals from exploitation. She estimates that hundreds of thousands of exotic animals, including primates, birds, and reptiles, have been trafficked in Ontario due to lax ownership regulations. The sanctuary’s fundraising efforts aim to expand facilities for more animals, albeit Liepa expresses a desire for sanctuaries like Story Book to become unnecessary in the future.
Despite the challenges, the sanctuary remains dedicated to providing a safe haven for captive primates and lemurs, emphasizing the importance of their care and well-being while advocating for stricter laws to prevent further exploitation of exotic animals in the province.
