Swing by Monkey Haven on the Isle of Wight
If you follow the sound of gibbon calls, you may well find yourself entering the open gates of Monkey Haven – the Island’s award-winning primate rescue centre, perched amongst the green hills above Newport.
From the mighty siamangs and Lar gibbons to mangabeys and tiny marmosets, there are plenty of furry characters to meet and greet here.
From an empty, muddy field back in 1999, to a slice of paradise for rescued primates today, Monkey Haven has been a labour of love for Don Walser and his family. Despite some thrills and spills along the way, it continues to go from strength to strength, this year celebrating its 14th year of opening! The story began when Don started breeding and releasing barn owls in Northamptonshire (when their numbers were heavily in decline), later being given a monkey to look after by the widow of a Cambridge professor. Soon he was being offered needy animals left, right and centre and so Don and his son began making a home for them, and this spot near the middle of the Isle of Wight seemed just the place.
Building the aviaries and enclosures themselves, with help from friends, family and countless supporters, Monkey Haven turned from a dream into a reality. Since opening they have cared for hundreds of primates, as well as birds, reptiles and other creatures in crisis. Taking a look around the sanctuary today you’ll discover everything from fluffy Javan langur monkeys, to Australian kookaburras and from Eurasian eagle owls to the critically endangered cotton-top tamarins. There’s even a cosy reptile lodge, containing Indian star tortoises and Chinese water dragons, as well as an enclosure of cheeky meerkats too.
A new capuchin enclosure had its grand opening last year. It was Monkey Haven’s biggest build yet and provides a spacious home for the ever-growing number of resident capuchin monkeys. There are even webcams to stream their activities worldwide and a hospital zone for animals in need of some extra TLC.
As with everything at Monkey Haven, their newest enclosure was made as eco-friendly as possible, including sustainably sourced wood and a wall of solar panels to power the lights, heaters and hopefully an EV charging point for visitors too. Look closely at the ropes within the enclosures too – some of them have been recycled from Wightlink’s ships!
Some of the most recently rescued animals include the rare and endangered African Diana monkeys and great grey owls. The Haven is also home to three different species of gibbon, including Xhabu the siamang – a firm favourite with visitors thanks to his singing videos going viral on Monkey Haven’s Instagram account! So, with more reasons to pop by than ever before, don’t miss your chance to put this very special haven for rescued animals at the top of your next Isle of Wight holiday itinerary.
ℹ️ A version of this article by James Rayner first appeared in Wightlife magazine in 2023.
