Plettenberg Bay monkey sanctuary ensure animals own the land they live on

A monkey sanctuary at Plettenberg Bay in the Southern Cape is ensuring that the animals in their care own the land they live on.

Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary is the world’s first free-roaming, multi-species primate sanctuary, covering an area of 12 hectares of indigenous forest and providing ex-captive primates with a healthier, more natural lifestyle.

Home to over 550 primates including gibbons, howler monkeys, vervet monkeys, langurs, sakis, capuchins, squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs and the critically endangered black and white ruffed lemurs.

Monkeyland’s Founder and CEO, Tony Blignaut, says due to the COVID-19 pandemic and crisis in the tourism industry, they realised future shareholders might not have the same passion for the animals they do and could decide to develop the land into something else.

He says they are now busy with a “Buy a square metre of land for primates” campaign, to buy the 216 000 square metre property from the owners.

“The land-owning company gave us a bond to tide us over until we raise the money, which we are busy doing now through social media and anyway we can and it’s doing well.  People are buying square metres, it only costs R90 to buy a square metre for the monkeys. And that’s progressing at a rapid rate. So that’s where we are now. It’s the first-ever land ownership deal for animals.”