Green monkeys are definitely the cutest, but sometimes the naughtiest, wildlife found in Barbados.
They originate in West Africa and arrived as pets, but soon escaped and called Barbados home. Thousands live wild on the island, but farmers consider them pests as they destroy some crops – especially fruit. The government has now put a bounty on their tails.
Sadly there are many instances of monkeys being ill-treated and exploited around the island. You may see people with baby green monkeys charging a fee for a photo. Others keep them in cages near their craft stall to attract visitors.
On the surface, these activities may appear harmless. The truth is that mothers are killed for their young and as the baby monkeys grow older – and less cute – they are discarded and replaced with younger ones. The older ones are either shot or released. Those set free will not survive. Established troops will not accept them and they will be killed.
Please refuse to support this practice. Do not take photos of the monkeys in these circumstances or give money to vendors for the care of these monkeys at any time. It is a cruel practice which should be stopped. For more information, please contact the RSPCA at (246) 426 3077.
Something you should know…
You can watch wild green monkeys in their natural habitat at Welchman Hall Gully.
There are two troops living in the gully and you can see them tuck into bananas on our specially built feeding platform, which is near the gully entrance.
And most days, particularly in the mornings, you can see them playing in their natural environment, swinging from vines and trees, walking along the gully floor or grooming each other on a branch.
During the dry season, from January to July, both troops are regulars at the platform. During the rainy season, from July to December, when the trees in the gully have plenty of fruit, the monkeys’ feeding patterns become a little less predictable.
The gully is their home, so they are free to come and go as they please, and don’t always turn up on time.
Please do not put out your own food or feed the monkeys by hand. They are wild animals and we want them to stay that way.
For more information about feeding times, contact us by phone on (246) 438-6671 or email welchmanhallgully@gmail.com.