| The Monkey Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of The Monkey Sanctuary | |
| 50°21′55″N 4°24′49″W / 50.3654°N 4.4136°W / 50.3654; -4.4136 | |
| Date opened | 1964 |
| Location | Looe, Cornwall, England |
| No. of animals | 301 |
| No. of species | 51 |
| Annual visitors | 30,0002 |
| Website | www |
The Monkey Sanctuary was founded in 1964 by Len Williams, father of classical guitarist John Williams,34 as a cooperative to care for rescued woolly monkeys. Based in Looe, Cornwall, England, it was home to woolly monkeys descended from the original residents, a growing number of capuchin monkeys rescued from the British pet trade,2 many marmosets, and a small group of rescued macaques.5
A colony of rare lesser horseshoe bats live in the cellar of Murrayton House, a 19th-century building that is used for offices and for accommodation for staff and volunteers.
After a period as a workers' cooperative, the Monkey Sanctuary attained charitable status in 2004, named The Monkey Sanctuary Trust.6
Since 2014, the Monkey Sanctuary has been the flagship project of Wild Futures (UK registered Charity number 1102532).78
In 2025, the Sanctuary site Murrayton House was placed up for sale citing growing financial pressure.9
Notes
Notes
- "Monkeys". monkeysanctuary.org. The Monkey Sanctuary. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- "Gold for Sanctuary". BBC. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- Martin Lewin. "John Williams and John Etheridge: Hey, Joe!". www.camdennewjournal.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
- "John Williams biography". plum.cream.org. Archived from the original on 23 March 2025.
- "Barbary Macaques". monkeysanctuary.org. The Monkey Sanctuary. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- "About Us – Wild Futures". wildfutures.org. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- "Wild Futures". wildfutures.org. Wild Futures. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- "1102532 - Wild Futures". charity-commission.gov.uk. United Kingdom Charity Commission. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- "Cornwall monkey sanctuary site for sale amid funding struggles". BBC News. 12 June 2025. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
References
References
- Tudge, Colin (21 April 1990). "More room for the woollies: The Monkey Sanctuary at Looe in Cornwall has been so successful that it must now expand and perhaps divide. What lessons does it hold for traditional zoos?". New Scientist. Retrieved 9 January 2013.