VIDEO: First steps to release - Lilongwe Wildlife Trust

Eighteen of our resident vervet monkeys at our Wildlife Centre, including Sprout, who has been with us since just a few hours old, have undergone the first exciting stages of their release back into the wild. And over the last few days we have captured some incredible footage of the amazing work done by our animal care team to prepare the troop for the next part of their release journey.

All 18 vervet monkeys were moved out of their sanctuary enclosure, health checked, tested, and vaccinated before seeing their pre-release enclosure for the very first time.

The troop must now prove that they can remain cohesive across a much larger and wilder space. After their adjustment period, we hope to introduce four new males to the group, and come November, the monkeys will be caught again for another health check and to have any contraceptive implants removed.

Careful observations will underpin the whole process right up until the troop of 22 are released early next year. Watch this space to be a part of the rest of the troop’s journey to the wild!

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Our Wildlife Centre exists to house and rehabilitate Malawi’s injured and orphaned wild animals — and we’re there 365 days a year for the creatures that need us most. But the truth is, we can’t do this alone.

We rely on the support of people like you who care about the wildlife of Malawi. Without you, all the work we do at our Wildlife Centre would be at risk. Please consider making a donation today to support our work.