Conservation Projects
Barbary macaques are an endangered species and therefore Monkey Forest work closely with organisations to help protect the endangered Barbary macaques.
All 4 of our parks in France, Germany and England pull together to support and protect Barbary macaques and preserve their amazing natural behaviours.
BMAC
Monkey Forest has supported Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation (BMAC) since the park opened in 2005. BMAC fight the illegal wildlife trade in Morocco by raising awareness and developing conservation initiatives that are inclusive, fair and sustainable. They mobilise public opinion, support authorities in wildlife confiscations and rehabilitate / reintroduce wildlife.
BMAC is a NGO that works to conserve the endangered Barbary macaque and its habitat and promotes knowledge of the species. They work in a holistic, practical and inclusive way to ensure their strategies work.
Trentham Monkey Forest pledges important funds to help BMAC to continue to carry out vital conservation projects for wild Barbary macaques.
2022 Wildfire Support
In early August 2022, a wildfire tore through the Bouhachem Forest Reserve in northern Morocco, one of the few remaining refuges for wild Barbary macaques, leaving many wild Barbary macaque monkeys dead.
Over 1/4 of the Bouhachem Forest was affected by the fire, over 19,768 acres. This is the equivalent of nearly the whole of Stoke-on-Trent being completely destroyed.
The estimated number of monkeys requiring assistance and rescue after the fire is approximately 1,800 – 2,000 monkeys. The fire swept through villages, killing livestock and destroying homes and crops.
Monkey Forest pledged important funds to support the restoration of the forest and protect the surviving primates.
Primate Society of Great Britain
Since 2021, Monkey Forest has pledged important funds to PSGB (The Primate Society of Great Britain) by rolling out an adoption campaign for the baby monkeys born each year in the forest.
With every sale of an adoption pack, funds get allocated to conservation projects undertaken by PSGB.
These funds help the organisation to award research grants for conservation projects supporting all of the worlds fascinating, wild primates.
The research grant is called the Monkey Forest award and we are a proud contributor to this great organisation and its continuing development of conservational knowledge for all primate species.
Chances for Nature
Since 2021, our parks have supported Chances for Nature. This is a long term project to support the organisation financially to protect the Kirindy forest and sustain its biodiversity.
Chances for Nature works to protect Madagascar’s Kirindy Forest, which is an important habitat for lemurs and many other fascinating creatures.
Lemurs are considered very primitive primates and are found only in Madagascar as well as smaller islands nearby. 98% of lemur species are critically endangered.
Unfortunately, massive deforestation and illegal interventions occur again and again. The local population lacks concepts for sustainable use of forests. Chances for Nature has been active on site since 2014 and is committed to protecting the forest with various measures.
The funds we contribute help with:
- Education work:
You are only willing to protect what you know. Chances for Nature is therefore visiting various village communities with a mobile bicycle cinema to make the local population aware of the Kirindy forest and sustainability.
There is an educational camp “Little Rangers” especially for children and young people. There they get to know the forest and its animals.
- Forest surveys:
In order to be able to protect the forest, money is needed so that the salaries and accommodation of the rangers can be paid. In addition, the rangers must be equipped. For example, they have to be mobile and in the future a smartphone will help to monitor the site.
- Eco-tourism:
Sustainable tourism is an opportunity to secure the future of the Kirindy forest and at the same time create new jobs for the local population. For this purpose, however, the existing tourism infrastructure must be improved. Another focus is on training eco-guides and improving the opportunities for observing the animals.
Conservation Projects - Live Blog
Monkey Forest Visit Morocco on Conservation Visit
In the summer of 2024, Dr. Roland Hilgartner, Head of research and Director at Affenberg Salem (our sister park in Germany), embarked on a mission to Morocco to visit the Barbary macaques in their native habitats. The trip aimed to evaluate both the current presence of these primates and the success of reintroduction efforts from […]
Poo-nique Research at Trentham Monkey Forest!
In 2024, we helped Matt Gardiner, the PhD wizard from Liverpool John Moore’s University, to decode the secrets hidden in monkey poop! Matt collected monkey faeces to trial a new measure of gut health analysis. Matt then travelled to Morocco in April and used the techniques he practised here at Monkey Forest- to conduct […]
Preserving Peru’s Precious Cloud Forest – Conservation Project
In 2024, Trentham Monkey Forest joined forces with the Primate Society of Great Britain (PSGB) to support a vital conservation project led by researcher Lorena Fernandez. The project focused on evaluating the impact of 15 years of community conservation efforts in the Campesino Community of Yambrasbamba in Peru. At the heart of this […]
Hosting Honey Bee’s at Monkey Forest, in partnership with North Staffordshire Beekeeping Association
In 2023, we were thrilled to announce our latest conservation venture in collaboration with the North Staffordshire Beekeeping Association — a heart-warming project that’s all about our fuzzy friends, the honey bees. Imagine a flowery meadow alive with the gentle hum of bees working diligently among vibrant blooms. At Monkey Forest, this picturesque scene […]