The Work Of Jim Cronin - Primate Conservationist

In 1987, Cronin leased a 65-acre pig farm near Wool, Dorset, after hearing about a group of nine baby chimps being drugged and used as props by photographers on a Spanish beach.

He persuaded the Spanish government to seize the chimps after promising to give them a sanctuary.

Monkey World now houses more than 160 abused or neglected primates of 13 different species from 14 countries, and has the largest collection of chimpanzees outside of Africa.

In 1993 Alison Ames, an authority on animal behaviour and Cambridge graduate in biological anthropology, arrived at Monkey World.

She and Jim were married in 1996, from then on running Monkey World as a combined venture.

In 2006, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to animal welfare.

The series Monkey Business (made by Meridian Broadcasting and shown on ITV Meridian in the UK and on Animal Planet worldwide) has documented the Cronins' frequent rescue missions and undercover investigations throughout Europe and Asia for the past 10 years.

Animal Planet will be airing new programs in the USA in the fall.

Monkey Business has now been replaced with Monkey Life, which also documents the goings-on within Monkey world.

From Wikipedia

Monkey Business is a fly on the wall TV programme about a rescue center for chimps and primates in Dorset on the South Coast of England. It was set up by Jim and Alison Cronin.

It follows the day to day life at Monkey World. The highs and the lows of providing shelter and a good quality of life can be seen through the programme.

Jim and Alison started Monkey World after seeing some chimps who were abused by people thinking that chimps can be kept as pets, as well as the chimps used in tourist spots througout the world.

A lot of the chimps were rescued from Spain where "chimp trade" was the "in" thing, especially amongst photographers. The chimps would be dressed in human clothes, possibly smoking cigarettes or performing some other human behaviour. The photographers would take the chimps to tourist areas where they would charge tourists to have a photograph taken with the chimp. I hate to admit, that amongst my childhood photographs, is a picture of myself and a cousin as young children, holding a small primate dressed in a costume. We were on a day out at the beach and that's what people did...back then.

At first Jim and Alison started with a few chimps, about 10 or so. But because there are so many of these chimps around they quickly had to expand. The center is open to the public and is set in rolling countryside. The chimps and other primates can be seen in social groups, just as they would be in the wild. There are currently over 240 primates at Monkey World.

Jim and Alison also took in other primates after it was found that there was abuse amongst them as well. There are 15 different species being cared for at Monkey World.

Watching this programme, one has to wonder what are these primates doing in countries like Spain, Turkey etc. The chimp is native to Northern Africa. But of course this won't stop the poachers killing the mothers and taking the babies to sell off for money. And people buy the babies. The chimps are then smuggled out of Africa and Asia.

These chimps eventually grow to be quite boistrous and energetic and are frequently drugged to keep them under control.

Sometimes, chimps are bought as pets. Once the chimp reaches a certain age, the owner just keeps them chained up or puts them into a cage. It is plain and simple cruelty for these chimps. They should be climbing and swinging through trees and living freely. They were not meant to be pets.

Exactly the same for the Orangutan. They are native to Borneo and Sumatra but yet Jim and Alison have found themselves travelling to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam to save them. The Orangutans at Monkey World have bred well in their nuturing environment.

At present there are 4 groups of chimps at the park, two groups of 20, one of 15 and a nursery group of 5. Each group is given at least 1 hectare of land.

Each group has a dominant male. Each chimp has also been given a name, either by the previous "owner" before they were given to Monkey World, or by the staff at Monkey World when a baby is born.

Monkey business the TV show, is aired on ITV in the UK and I believe on Animal Planet, Granada and Discovery Channels. Monkey Business is a continuing series focussing on Monkey World. Six series have been made to date equalling 63 programmes.

Other TV shows include;

ITV - Nature Watch

BBC - Operation Chimpanzee

BBC - State of the Ark which highlighted the rescue and rehabilitation work

BBC - Animal Hospital

CNN & Sky TV - Highlighting a rescue operation in Turkey of smuggled chimpanzees

ITV - GMTV covering the illegal pet trade in Turkey.

BBC - QED Saving Trudy.

Jim had a passion for life and the conservation of wildlife that was an inspiration to all who knew him. His enthusiasm was infectious and he will be missed by all whose lives he touched. Jim's legacy will continue under the guidance of his devoted wife, Dr Alison Cronin. Monkey World and the numerous projects Jim and Alison set up globally, will continue as a fitting memorial to a man whose life touched so many around the world.

Monkey World have set up a fund in memory of Jim to continue his legacy.

Click here to donate to the Jim Cronin Memorial Fund online.
Jim Cronin Memorial Fund

or donations can be made payable to the Jim Cronin Memorial Fund, and sent to Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6HH.

with permission from Monkey World

I was going to add a link to some of the Brooke Bond Tea adverts that showed the Brooke Bond Chimps.

However, I think it's inappropriate to highlight something that I grew up thinking was 'cute' but know understand as abuse.

PG Tips launched an advertising campaign involving chimpanzees in 1956. These TV commercials were among the first ever aired and proved to be very popular with the public.

The chimps, who acted out humorous situations, had the voices of well known personalities like Peter Sellers, Bruce Forsyth, Kenneth Williams and Bob Monkhouse.

The PG Tips chimps are the longest running characters in British TV advertising. They were thankfully retired in 2002.

They also appeared in a roadshow, one of which I was present at, probably around 1968. Of course, the idea behind the show was to use the Chimps popularity to sell tea.