Holiday Heroes: Peaceable Primates Sanctuary

WINAMAC, Ind. -- Just off state road 39 sits a safe haven where primates can safely and happily live out the rest of their lives.

Peaceable Primates Sanctuary, a non-profit organization in Winamac, was started 8 years ago by founder and director, Scott Kubisch. Kubisch says that the sanctuary provides a home to primates that have been retired from roadside zoos, research facilities, and the exotic pet trade.

The goal of the non-profit is to expand on the care they were given at the facilities they came from. "We want them to have the ability to go outside, to experience fresh air, sun, rain," Kubisch commented. "It really is just a retirement. They can come here and do what they want, when they want, with no restrictions.”

The primates love to spend time outside running around their enclosures and playing with the other monkeys. However, during the cold winter months, it can be much harder for them to be outdoors. The staff says the primates will typically go outside until temperatures fall below the 30's, which is when they will get too cold and opt to stay inside.

With the primates spending more time indoors to escape the cold, they can get easily bored. To help with this, the staff gives them "enrichment items" to occupy their minds. The animals like to play with these items, ripping them up and throwing them around, but it doesn't quite have the same effect as when the primates are able to spend their days outside.

If you'd like to give back to the primates this holiday season, there are many ways you can gift them with a little holiday cheer. The Peaceable Primates website has a wishlist of items they need to provide the primates with the best care. You can also sign up to help out at the sanctuary if volunteering is more your speed.

Peaceable Primates loves their local community and encourages you to get involved. "We don’t want to be secretive about what we do, we want the local people in the community to know why we’re here and what we do here," Kubisch explained. "We want people to come here and be able to experience, these animals are interesting."

Just contact Peaceable Primates to schedule a tour of the sanctuary, or you can attend one of their various outreach and fundraising held throughout the year. You can find more information on the primates and learn more about the sanctuary on their website.