Trentham Monkey Forest and PSGB: A Partnership for Global Primate Conservation

Conservation success is rarely achieved by a single organisation working alone. It takes collaboration, shared expertise, and a long-term commitment to protecting wildlife. Our partnership with the Primate Society of Great Britain (PSGB) demonstrates exactly that!

For several years, Trentham Monkey Forest has played a strong role in supporting PSGB's mission to advance primate research, conservation, welfare, and education. Through generous financial contributions and a shared passion for protecting primates worldwide, this partnership is helping researchers and conservationists tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing primate species today.

The Primate Society of Great Britain is one of the UK's leading organisations dedicated to primate research and conservation. Through its grant programmes, PSGB supports scientists, students, and conservation practitioners working across the globe to better understand and protect primates.

A key element of this success has been the ongoing support from Trentham Monkey Forest. According to the PSGB Treasurer's Report, Trentham Monkey Forest donated £10,000 during the 2024–2025 financial year, continuing a funding commitment that helps support multiple research and conservation projects through to 2027.

This funding has become a cornerstone of PSGB's grant programme, enabling the society to maintain two grant rounds each year and continue investing in innovative projects that directly benefit primate conservation.

The impact of the partnership can be seen through the diverse range of research projects funded by Trentham Monkey Forest.

In 2025, Trentham-supported research grants including studies exploring how maternal behaviour and environmental stressors influence the development of social competence in Barbary macaques, the very species visitors encounter at Trentham Monkey Forest. Another funded project investigated self-medication behaviour in wild crested black macaques in Indonesia, combining molecular biology, ethnobotany, and conservation science to better understand how primates respond to disease and parasites.

These projects not only advance scientific knowledge but also contribute to better conservation management, animal welfare, and our understanding of primate behaviour in both wild and managed populations.

Beyond research, the Trentham Monkey Forest x PSGB partnership is delivering tangible conservation outcomes across primate range countries.

Recent Trentham-funded conservation projects have supported:

• Community-based conservation efforts for the critically endangered Hainan gibbon in China.

• Research into reducing food provisioning pressures on lion-tailed macaques in India.

• Conservation initiatives led by local experts working directly in primate habitats.

Importantly, these grants are often awarded to researchers and conservationists from primate range countries themselves, helping to build local capacity and create sustainable conservation solutions driven by those closest to the challenges.

The partnership is particularly meaningful because of Trentham Monkey Forest's unique connection to Barbary macaques. Home to one of the largest free-roaming groups of Barbary macaques outside their native North African range, the forest has long championed education, welfare, and conservation for this endangered species.

By supporting PSGB's grant programmes, Trentham Monkey Forest extends its impact far beyond Staffordshire. Its investment helps protect primates across Africa, Asia, and South America while strengthening the global primatology community. The support also demonstrates how visitor attractions can play a significant role in conservation. Every visitor who walks through the forest and learns about Barbary macaques is indirectly contributing to a wider network of research and conservation projects around the world.
As the partnership continues, both organisations remain united by a common goal: securing a better future for primates.

At a time when conservation funding is increasingly competitive, partnerships like this are more important than ever. They provide stability, create opportunities for innovation, and ensure that vital primate research and conservation work can continue.

Whether through supporting emerging researchers, funding conservation action in the field, or raising public awareness about endangered species, the alliance between Trentham Monkey Forest and the Primate Society of Great Britain shows what can be achieved when conservation organisations work together.

We are very proud to support the PSGB in this ongoing partnership and look forward to the projects of tomorrow that allow the gift of today for species across the globe.