Jim Cronin
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Michael Cronin MBE (15 November 1951–17 March 2007) was the founder in 1987 of Monkey World
in Dorset
, England
, a sanctuary for abused and neglected primates. He was widely acknowledged as an international expert in the rescue and rehabilitation of abused primates, and in the enforcement of international treaties aimed at protecting them from illegal trade and experimentation.
Cronin was awarded an honorary MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for services to animal welfare
.
, of Italian-Irish parents, the son of a union official. After leaving high school, he had a number of jobs in the U.S. before becoming a keeper
at Bronx Zoo in the 1970s, where he discovered that he wanted to work with animals. In 1980, he moved to Kent in the UK to work in John Aspinall's zoo.
being abused. These great African apes were being smuggled from the wild by illegal poachers and being transported abroad to Europe
where the young chimpanzees were being purchased then used as photographic props by photographers on beach resorts in Spain
. These chimps would suffer horrible abuse- having their teeth knocked out to prevent them biting tourists, drugged to remain sedate and physically beaten to remain submissive and easy to handle before growing too big and being killed to be simply replaced by another. Jim was infuriated by the fate that these magnificent apes encountered and decided to dedicate his life in trying to solve the problem.
In the middle 1980s Spain had released a legislation that forbid the use of chimpanzees as photographer's props, and this turn of action gave Jim some optimism on how he would reach his goal of helping the chimps. In 1986 Jim approached a British couple called Simon and Peggy Templer
who had started a rescue of the beach chimps since 1978. Jim worked together with the Templers who had set up a half-way house where the confiscated chimps were being housed. The chimps would not be able to stay there for long, and it was Jim's idea that shed light. Jim requested discussions on how he could possibly help and with the help of the Spanish Authorities known as the Guardia Civil confiscating the chimps, there would certainly be more individuals arriving at the small half-way house.
Within 1987 Jim returned to England and focused on how he could possibly build a sanctuary for the chimps. The Templers agreed to re-home the chimps at the sanctuary which Jim promised to be able to build. Jim recruited help from a fellow zoo keeper known as Jeremy Keeling, and the pair set off their ambition of the 'monkey sanctuary. Jim was notified about an abandoned pig farm located near Wool, Dorset BH20 6HH within Longthorns, Wareham. The old land covered 65-acres and would be perfect for what would become a primate rescue centre.
After securing a small business loan, Jim acquired permission to build the first enclosure which would be for the chimps. He knew that the animals needed to know how to live in a natural way of life again, therefore Jim set up a map of the enclosure which would cover 2 acres, filled with grass, shrubs and custom-built climbing structures made from telephone poles. The whole 2 acres would be surrounded by electric fence. After some finishing touches, such as human resources as well like cafe and a children playground, the sanctuary was finally complete and was named Monkey World- Ape Rescue Centre
.
In July 1987, Jim was able to bring the first group of nine chimps from the Templer's half-way house to Monkey World. Once at the park, the chimpanzees were rehabilitated and housed in their new accommodations. Also within the park was one hand-reared female bornean orang-utan named Amy, who was brought by Jeremy Keeling, whose job it was to look after the animals at the centre. There was the arrival of some barbary macaques
, pig-tailed macaques
and some ring-tailed lemurs
which made the rest of the collection of primates Jim's rescue centre housed. More chimpanzees from Spain arrived at the park.
On August 7 in 1987, Jim opened Monkey World for the public who received a rare opportunity of seeing exotic primates. Jim made the sanctuary a rescue centre and not a zoo. The female chimpanzees were put on birth control to save space for more individuals needing rescues. Monkey World did not only rescue Spanish beach chimps , but chimps from a variety of unfortunate circumstances such as exotic pets, circus entertainers and medical research laboratory subjects. The park could re-home them all. In 1993, Jim met Alison Aimes, an authority on animal behaviour
and Cambridge graduate in biological anthropology
, arrived at Monkey World. She and Cronin were married in 1996, from then on running Monkey World as a combined venture.
Jim could hardly believe that his small refuge centre had grown into a thriving rescue centre for primates from around the world. Monkey World worked with the Ping Tung Rescue Centre in Taiwan in stopping the illegal smuggling of apes from the wild, and Monkey World was able to re-home some of the primates from the Ping Tung Rescue Centre including bornean orang-utans and different species of gibbon. Monkey World started working with foreign governments in the prevention of primate smuggling for pet trades, including the pet trade in Britain which allowed citizens to keep exotic small monkeys without being able to care for them properly or meet their substantial needs. Jim and Alison traveled to places around the world, investigating animal trades, especially the trade and exploitation of primates.
Jim's sanctuary had a successfully recruited a number of Primate Care Staff who see that the day-to-day requirements of the primates are met. Veterinary consultants were obliging to help treat the animals and Adoption Schemes were set up to allow the park to continue its rescue and rehabilitation work. The biggest rescue the centre undertook was that of the 19 retired stump-tailed macaques
from a medical research laboratory in the UK, but the rescue mission in 2008, of the 88 capuchin monkeys
from a medical research laboratory in Chile
, took the record of the largest rescue of primates in the world.
In 2006, Cronin was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to animal welfare. Cronin has also received the Jane Goodall Award.
The series Monkey Business
(made by Meridian Broadcasting
and shown on ITV
Meridian in the UK and on Animal Planet
worldwide) has documented the Cronin's frequent rescue missions and undercover investigations throughout Europe and Asia for the past 10 years. Animal Planet will be airing new programs in the USA in the fall.
Monkey Business has now been replaced with Monkey Life, which also documents the goings-on within Monkey World.
. His wife Alison is now in charge of Monkey World.
From Humble beginnings, Jim built a small refuge for chimpanzees, now that small refuge is a thriving 65-acre wildlife park for primates originating from all corners of the globe, number over 230 primates in all. Jim's determination in providing a sanctuary for apes and monkeys is what has saved the lives of so many primates, currently living at the park. The places where Jim rescued primates(such as the chimps) is where Monkey World has formed a partnership with the government of that particular country in preserving and conserving the laws that protect primates.
Today over 230 chimpanzee
s, orang-utans
, woolly monkeys
, golden-cheeked gibbons
, siamang gibbons
, stump-tailed macaques
, ring-tailed lemurs
, common marmosets
, lar gibbons
, agile gibbons
, cottontop tamarins
, müller's gibbons
, capuchin monkeys
, squirrel monkeys
and goeldi's marmosets
call Monkey World home, a home where they can all spend their lives in relative harmony with their own kind, thanks to Jim Cronin.
The Jim Cronin Memorial Fund was set up for the purpose of continuing Jim's legacy and for the support of primate conservation and welfare all over the world. It has become a UK registered charity, number 1126939 and is sponsored by the sanctuary Jim created, Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre
.
Monkey World
Monkey World is a ape and monkey sanctuary and rescue centre near Wool, Dorset, England...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, a sanctuary for abused and neglected primates. He was widely acknowledged as an international expert in the rescue and rehabilitation of abused primates, and in the enforcement of international treaties aimed at protecting them from illegal trade and experimentation.
Cronin was awarded an honorary MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for services to animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
.
Early life
Cronin was born in Yonkers, New YorkYonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, of Italian-Irish parents, the son of a union official. After leaving high school, he had a number of jobs in the U.S. before becoming a keeper
Zookeeper
A zookeeper is a worker in a zoo, responsible for the feeding and daily care of the animals. As part of their routine, they clean the exhibits and report health problems...
at Bronx Zoo in the 1970s, where he discovered that he wanted to work with animals. In 1980, he moved to Kent in the UK to work in John Aspinall's zoo.
Working with Primates
Jim started his work with primates through working as a zoo keeper in various zoos. In 1980 he came to Britain where he acquired a job as a zoo keeper at John Aspinall's Zoo, where he perfected his skills of primate rehabilitation and care. John Aspinall had set up a breeding programme for gorillas which were an endangered species. Jim's passion for working with primates made him quite successful in his career and encouraged him to have an ambition of one day building a safe haven for mistreated primates. During his years working at John Aspinall's Zoo, he gave himself the necessary experience of dealing with apes on daily basis in his career path of working with them as well as small monkeys and their complex life necessities. It was during this time that Jim heard about the plight of chimps being abused.Monkey World
It was during Jim's years working as a zoo keeper at the Aspinhall Zoo that he was notified about the plight of chimpsChimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
being abused. These great African apes were being smuggled from the wild by illegal poachers and being transported abroad to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where the young chimpanzees were being purchased then used as photographic props by photographers on beach resorts in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. These chimps would suffer horrible abuse- having their teeth knocked out to prevent them biting tourists, drugged to remain sedate and physically beaten to remain submissive and easy to handle before growing too big and being killed to be simply replaced by another. Jim was infuriated by the fate that these magnificent apes encountered and decided to dedicate his life in trying to solve the problem.
In the middle 1980s Spain had released a legislation that forbid the use of chimpanzees as photographer's props, and this turn of action gave Jim some optimism on how he would reach his goal of helping the chimps. In 1986 Jim approached a British couple called Simon and Peggy Templer
Simon and Peggy Templer
The late Simon and Peggy Templer were a British couple who lived in Spain, where they dedicated their lives in rescuing mistreated chimpanzees used by photographers on beach resorts. The country had become a focus of the trade in chimpanzees for the tourist industry, and these apes would be...
who had started a rescue of the beach chimps since 1978. Jim worked together with the Templers who had set up a half-way house where the confiscated chimps were being housed. The chimps would not be able to stay there for long, and it was Jim's idea that shed light. Jim requested discussions on how he could possibly help and with the help of the Spanish Authorities known as the Guardia Civil confiscating the chimps, there would certainly be more individuals arriving at the small half-way house.
Within 1987 Jim returned to England and focused on how he could possibly build a sanctuary for the chimps. The Templers agreed to re-home the chimps at the sanctuary which Jim promised to be able to build. Jim recruited help from a fellow zoo keeper known as Jeremy Keeling, and the pair set off their ambition of the 'monkey sanctuary. Jim was notified about an abandoned pig farm located near Wool, Dorset BH20 6HH within Longthorns, Wareham. The old land covered 65-acres and would be perfect for what would become a primate rescue centre.
After securing a small business loan, Jim acquired permission to build the first enclosure which would be for the chimps. He knew that the animals needed to know how to live in a natural way of life again, therefore Jim set up a map of the enclosure which would cover 2 acres, filled with grass, shrubs and custom-built climbing structures made from telephone poles. The whole 2 acres would be surrounded by electric fence. After some finishing touches, such as human resources as well like cafe and a children playground, the sanctuary was finally complete and was named Monkey World- Ape Rescue Centre
Monkey World
Monkey World is a ape and monkey sanctuary and rescue centre near Wool, Dorset, England...
.
In July 1987, Jim was able to bring the first group of nine chimps from the Templer's half-way house to Monkey World. Once at the park, the chimpanzees were rehabilitated and housed in their new accommodations. Also within the park was one hand-reared female bornean orang-utan named Amy, who was brought by Jeremy Keeling, whose job it was to look after the animals at the centre. There was the arrival of some barbary macaques
Barbary Macaque
The Barbary Macaque , or Common macaque, is a macaque with no tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco with a small population, of unknown origin, in Gibraltar, the Barbary Macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species. Besides humans, they are the only primates that...
, pig-tailed macaques
Pig-tailed macaque
The pig-tailed macaques are two macaque sister species. They look almost identical and are best distinguished by their parapatric ranges:* Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca leonina...
and some ring-tailed lemurs
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
which made the rest of the collection of primates Jim's rescue centre housed. More chimpanzees from Spain arrived at the park.
On August 7 in 1987, Jim opened Monkey World for the public who received a rare opportunity of seeing exotic primates. Jim made the sanctuary a rescue centre and not a zoo. The female chimpanzees were put on birth control to save space for more individuals needing rescues. Monkey World did not only rescue Spanish beach chimps , but chimps from a variety of unfortunate circumstances such as exotic pets, circus entertainers and medical research laboratory subjects. The park could re-home them all. In 1993, Jim met Alison Aimes, an authority on animal behaviour
Animal behaviour
Animal behaviour is the subject of:* The field of Ethology* Animal Behaviour, a scientific journal...
and Cambridge graduate in biological anthropology
Biological anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
, arrived at Monkey World. She and Cronin were married in 1996, from then on running Monkey World as a combined venture.
Jim could hardly believe that his small refuge centre had grown into a thriving rescue centre for primates from around the world. Monkey World worked with the Ping Tung Rescue Centre in Taiwan in stopping the illegal smuggling of apes from the wild, and Monkey World was able to re-home some of the primates from the Ping Tung Rescue Centre including bornean orang-utans and different species of gibbon. Monkey World started working with foreign governments in the prevention of primate smuggling for pet trades, including the pet trade in Britain which allowed citizens to keep exotic small monkeys without being able to care for them properly or meet their substantial needs. Jim and Alison traveled to places around the world, investigating animal trades, especially the trade and exploitation of primates.
Jim's sanctuary had a successfully recruited a number of Primate Care Staff who see that the day-to-day requirements of the primates are met. Veterinary consultants were obliging to help treat the animals and Adoption Schemes were set up to allow the park to continue its rescue and rehabilitation work. The biggest rescue the centre undertook was that of the 19 retired stump-tailed macaques
Stump-tailed Macaque
The stump-tailed macaque , also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque found in Southern Asia. In India, it is found in south of the Brahmaputra river, in northeastern part of the country.Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Aruanchal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,...
from a medical research laboratory in the UK, but the rescue mission in 2008, of the 88 capuchin monkeys
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
from a medical research laboratory in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, took the record of the largest rescue of primates in the world.
In 2006, Cronin was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to animal welfare. Cronin has also received the Jane Goodall Award.
The series Monkey Business
Monkey Business (TV series)
Monkey Business is a long-running TV series about the exploits of various primates who reside at Monkey World, a rescue centre and sanctuary for primates in Dorset, United Kingdom. The series features Jim and Dr. Alison Cronin, directors of Monkey World, as they travel around the world rescuing...
(made by Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
and shown on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Meridian in the UK and on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
worldwide) has documented the Cronin's frequent rescue missions and undercover investigations throughout Europe and Asia for the past 10 years. Animal Planet will be airing new programs in the USA in the fall.
Monkey Business has now been replaced with Monkey Life, which also documents the goings-on within Monkey World.
Passing Away
Cronin died at the Cabrini Medical Center, Manhattan, New York, on 17 March 2007, following a brief battle with liver cancerHepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
. His wife Alison is now in charge of Monkey World.
From Humble beginnings, Jim built a small refuge for chimpanzees, now that small refuge is a thriving 65-acre wildlife park for primates originating from all corners of the globe, number over 230 primates in all. Jim's determination in providing a sanctuary for apes and monkeys is what has saved the lives of so many primates, currently living at the park. The places where Jim rescued primates(such as the chimps) is where Monkey World has formed a partnership with the government of that particular country in preserving and conserving the laws that protect primates.
Today over 230 chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s, orang-utans
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
, woolly monkeys
Woolly monkey
The woolly monkeys are the genus Lagothrix of New World monkeys, usually placed in the family Atelidae.There are four species of woolly monkey. All originate from the rainforests of South America...
, golden-cheeked gibbons
Yellow-cheeked Gibbon
The yellow-cheeked gibbon , also called the yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, the golden-cheeked crested gibbon or the buffed-cheeked gibbon, is a species of gibbon native to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia....
, siamang gibbons
Siamang
The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
, stump-tailed macaques
Stump-tailed Macaque
The stump-tailed macaque , also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque found in Southern Asia. In India, it is found in south of the Brahmaputra river, in northeastern part of the country.Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Aruanchal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,...
, ring-tailed lemurs
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
, common marmosets
Common Marmoset
The common marmoset is a New World monkey. It originally lived on the Northeastern coast of Brazil, in the states of Piaui, Paraiba, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia...
, lar gibbons
Lar Gibbon
The lar gibbon , also known as the white-handed gibbon, is a primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often seen in zoos.-Range:...
, agile gibbons
Agile Gibbon
The agile gibbon , also known as the black-handed gibbon, is an Old World primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family, a group also collectively referred to as the "lesser apes"...
, cottontop tamarins
Cottontop Tamarin
The cotton-top tamarin , also known as the Pinché tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1 lb...
, müller's gibbons
Müller's Bornean Gibbon
Müller's Bornean gibbon , also known as the grey gibbon, is a primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family.Unlike other gibbon species, Müller's Bornean gibbon does not show sexual dimorphism in its fur coloration. Its fur is grey or brown colored with a ring of bright fur around its face. On the...
, capuchin monkeys
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
, squirrel monkeys
Squirrel monkey
The squirrel monkeys are the New World monkeys of the genus Saimiri. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae.Squirrel monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in the canopy layer. Most species have parapatric or allopatric ranges in the Amazon, while S...
and goeldi's marmosets
Goeldi's Marmoset
Goeldi's marmoset or Goeldi's monkey is a small, South American New World monkey that lives in the upper Amazon Basin region of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru...
call Monkey World home, a home where they can all spend their lives in relative harmony with their own kind, thanks to Jim Cronin.
Jim Cronin Memorial Fund
Website: http://www.jimcroninmemorialfund.org/The Jim Cronin Memorial Fund was set up for the purpose of continuing Jim's legacy and for the support of primate conservation and welfare all over the world. It has become a UK registered charity, number 1126939 and is sponsored by the sanctuary Jim created, Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre
Monkey World
Monkey World is a ape and monkey sanctuary and rescue centre near Wool, Dorset, England...
.