Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

Darwin, The Ikea Monkey, To Remain At Sanctuary After Change Of Ownership

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Sep, 2015 03:55 PM
    SUNDERLAND, Ont. — The Ikea monkey doesn't have to worry about finding new digs now that new owners have bought the sanctuary and the property where he lives.
     
    Darwin — who became famous in 2012 when he was found wandering outside a Toronto Ikea store wearing a shearling coat — has been living at Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary since a court placed him there.
     
    Darwin and 19 other monkeys faced eviction after the sanctuary's previous owner went through a divorce and decided to sell, according to Story Book board member Daina Liepa.
     
    "This is our dream to stay here because moving the monkeys would be incredibly stressful on them," Liepa said.
     
    The board had trouble raising money to buy the land since it went up for sale about a year ago. They feared they wouldn't be able to find Darwin and the other animals a new home.
     
    Then, Liepa said, two generous benefactors came forward to buy the property and officially closed the deal in mid-July.
     
    Liepa said the new owners want to remain anonymous, but the day-to-day operations of the sanctuary will remain with the board and its team of volunteers.
     
    They have big plans to expand the sanctuary — potentially doubling its capacity for monkeys — and renovating the existing structures on the sprawling land northeast of Toronto.
     
    Liepa said they also plan to make themselves heard in the community, raising awareness about the exotic pet trade in Canada.
     
    "We feel strongly that people should be aware of what we're doing, who we are and what our intentions are and encourage education about primates," Liepa said.
     
    The sanctuary has an agreement to bring in two more monkeys once they are done being used for research at an unnamed university.
     
    "It's so easy for universities to euthanize them — it's much cheaper and easier — but we want to make it easier to keep them alive," she said.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Bank Of Canada Keeps Key Rate On Hold At 0.5 Per Cent As Resource Sector Adjusts

    Bank Of Canada Keeps Key Rate On Hold At 0.5 Per Cent As Resource Sector Adjusts
    OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada kept its key interest rate on hold at 0.5 per cent on Wednesday and said the country's resource sector continues to adjust to lower prices for oil and other commodities.

    Bank Of Canada Keeps Key Rate On Hold At 0.5 Per Cent As Resource Sector Adjusts

    Syrian Refugee Queries Draws Catcalls From Conservative Supporters

    Syrian Refugee Queries Draws Catcalls From Conservative Supporters
    A Conservative supporter at a Stephen Harper campaign event heckled a reporter Wednesday who was asking about the government's handling of the Syrian refugee crisis.

    Syrian Refugee Queries Draws Catcalls From Conservative Supporters

    Jury Selection In Dennis Oland's Second-degree Murder Trial Enters Day 2

    Jury Selection In Dennis Oland's Second-degree Murder Trial Enters Day 2
    Jury selection continued Wednesday for the trial of Dennis Oland, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of his father, high-profile businessman Richard Oland.

    Jury Selection In Dennis Oland's Second-degree Murder Trial Enters Day 2

    River Temperatures Down In B.c., But So Are Projected Sockeye Returns: DFO

    River Temperatures Down In B.c., But So Are Projected Sockeye Returns: DFO
    Area director Stu Cartwright says temperatures are now around 15 or 16 degrees, an acceptable range crucial to the health of 1.5-million sockeye due to reach spawning grounds in B.C. over the coming weeks.

    River Temperatures Down In B.c., But So Are Projected Sockeye Returns: DFO

    Indian-Born Policeman Sharnjit Gill Appointed Superintendent Of Surrey RCMP

    Indian-Born Policeman Sharnjit Gill Appointed Superintendent Of Surrey RCMP
    Born in Rajiana village in Moga, Punjab, Gill began his career in Surrey General Duty 26 years ago.

    Indian-Born Policeman Sharnjit Gill Appointed Superintendent Of Surrey RCMP

    Nathaniel Jessup, 28, Charged With Abduction Attempts Of 2 Young Girls In Stanley Park

    Nathaniel Jessup, 28, Charged With Abduction Attempts Of 2 Young Girls In Stanley Park
    Twenty-eight-year-old Nathaniel Jessup is accused of two counts of assault and one count of forcible confinement.

    Nathaniel Jessup, 28, Charged With Abduction Attempts Of 2 Young Girls In Stanley Park