Volunteer Manual

Helpful Rules when Caring For Monkeys

Have Respect for the Center and the People

Respect is very important for us and as we are a family, we respect and treat each other with kindness. Asking please, thanking and greeting each other are some of the basic rules of the house. 

These monkeys are not domestic animals

Please don’t approach and touch monkeys you are not familiar with, as it can scare them and cause them to poo or bite. It is especially important to tell tourists – WE HAVE A NO TOUCH POLICY FOR TOURISTS – and during the day while we have visitors, we also ask for you to not interact with the monkeys. 

In general, New World Monkeys are not aggressive, but if you get worked up or start shouting, they will see this as an invitation to do the same. Just be calm and take your time getting to know each of them and their quirky behavior.

Let the monkeys be monkeys. If they are in trees or playing together, NEVER try to coax them down to you – just enjoy them in their natural environment. This will help them to build the skills they need for release.

Be careful going in and out of the doors

Monkeys and local dogs love coming in for a look around.

If there are animals outside the doors, you can try to spray water at them, or ask one of the others to help you get them away before you enter. We also have the side door you can use.

If a monkey does come in, don’t try and stop them, and get help from the staff to take them out.

Please don’t sit on the front steps – This means the monkeys spend time away from the trees and are drawn to the main entrance where they will try to get in. If you see other people on the stairs please ask them to move to the bridge or the seats under the trees.

Rooms

Unless specifically asked to (eg, if you are caring for a young baby), never let animals in your room – they’re likely to have fleas. 

Any food in your room must be sealed. Anything unsealed will be targets for cockroaches. You can store food in the kitchen cupboards which is a much better option to avoid attracting insects to your room.

Keep your doors closed.

Washing

You can do hand washing in our sinks, or send dirty clothes to the local community for washing – it is approximately S/40 per large bag.

For those staying long term – please ensure your sheets are washed once a week.

Power & Internet

Our solar system allows us to charge everything during the day, but at night we use the batteries for lights and to keep our food cold. Please unplug once the sun goes down.

We pay for petrol for our pump, so please save water. Please be conscious of water use – don’t leave taps running etc.

We have Starlink satellite internet, which works well, but if it isn’t working you can walk up the path to the cacao tree where there is usually a small amount of BITEL signal, or to the point where you can get signal from across the river.

General Rules

It is forbidden to smoke inside and near the house. Please go into the jungle away from the house and the monkeys. Taking drugs, and/or any other illegal substances is forbidden. 

Please help us to keep everything clean. In and outside the house. If you see something is dirty or out of place, please clean it.

It is forbidden to go into the workers rooms, and vice versa.

Be sure to use natural repellent, something that does not damage the monkeys and the environment. We recommend during your stay on the island to wear long pants and sleeves to avoid mosquito bites.

Please do not feed the monkeys food outside of their 3 x per day schedule unless specifically asked to do so by staff. 

Ceasing Your Volunteering

If you break any of the rules and/or if we see any inappropriate behavior, you will be asked to leave the island and your volunteering position immediately.

Issues & Suggestions

If you have any problems, suggestions or complaints, please speak with Lucero, Jair or Davison in the first instance on the island. You can also speak with Gilberto, who is based in Iquitos and responsible for the project. You can do it personally or via email – [email protected].