Monkey Business (TV series)
Documentary series about the Monkey World primate sanctuary.
Monkey Business is a television documentary series produced by Meridian Television that focuses on the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre, a 65-acre sanctuary near Wool, Dorset, England. The series aired on ITV and Animal Planet, running for nine seasons between 1998 and 2006.
Quick Facts
- Production company
- Meridian Television
- Broadcasters
- ITV, Animal Planet
- Number of seasons
- 9
- Years aired
- 1998–2006
- Subject
- Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre
- Successor
- Monkey Life
Facts from the source article.
History
Monkey World was established in 1987 by Jim Cronin with assistance from Jeremy Keeling, and later operated by Cronin and his wife Alison along with a care team led by Keeling. Originally intended to provide a home for abused chimpanzees used as props by Spanish beach photographers, the centre now houses many primate species. Its first resident was a female Bornean orangutan named Amy, hand-reared by Keeling, who was later paired with a male orangutan named Banghi from Chester Zoo; they had a son named Gordon in 1997 before Banghi died in 1998. On 13 July 1987, the first chimpanzees arrived: Paddy, Busta, Jimmy, Micky, Sammy, Taffy, Beth, Cindy, and Zoe. In April 1998, a young female chimpanzee named Trudy was rescued after being filmed being beaten by Mary Chipperfield, who was later charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty. Jim Cronin died on 17 March 2007 in a New York hospital from liver cancer; his widow Alison and the staff continue to run the centre. Monkey World works with foreign governments to stop illegal smuggling of wild primates. In January 2008, the group rescued 88 capuchin monkeys from a laboratory in Santiago, Chile, with help from the Chilean Air Force. In August 2010, a Bornean orangutan named Oshine was rescued from Johannesburg, South Africa. On 7 December 2010, an orphan baby Sumatran orangutan named Silvestre was rescued from a zoo in Spain, and in January 2011, a chimpanzee named Kiki was rescued from Lebanon.
Overview
Monkey World is home to the largest chimpanzee population outside of Africa, with these apes split into four distinct groups. Many of the animals were saved from the illegal pet trade, research labs, or exploitation as beachside photo props. The park also cares for three groups of orangutans from two species and runs Europe's only nursery for orphaned or abandoned orangutans. Its collection includes five types of gibbon and fourteen species of monkeys or prosimians.
Television appearances
The documentary series Monkey Business aired for nine seasons from 1998 to 2006, produced by Meridian Television and shown on ITV and Animal Planet. It was followed by Monkey Life, which started in 2008 and has reached 18 seasons by 2026. Two specials about Jim Cronin’s Legacy were broadcast in June 2008. Monkey World has also appeared on several other programmes: Challenge Anneka, Nature Watch, Operation Chimpanzee, State of the Ark, and Animal Hospital, all on the BBC. CNN and Sky TV covered a rescue of smuggled chimpanzees in Turkey, while ITV’s GMTV reported on the illegal pet trade there. The BBC aired QED Saving Trudy and an episode of Animals in Love about a siamang gibbon named Sam who overcame depression after losing his mate and offspring. Inside Out London on the BBC discussed whether exotic pets should be banned. Russell Brand frequently mentioned Monkey World on his BBC Radio 2 show and podcast.
More in Television Shows Produced by Meridian Broadcasting
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