How to Greet a Monkey

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By AuthorAndrea
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Ziggy and me

In the photo at the left is me with "Ziggy Campbell," a capuchin monkey I raised for Helping Hands. I got Ziggy at five weeks old and had her for thirteen years. Today she is a helper-companion for a quadriplegic. Yes, she is helping someone a great deal and we are proud of our little girl.

Here are some tips for when you want to greet a monkey...

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Knowledge about primates
Tips from this article

Step 1

Ziggy Campbell

When monkeys are with their human handlers, they look so cute and cuddly and handleable. This article is going to be full of warnings. Despite their appearance, monkeys are dangerous.

And I'm going to tell you how to behave if you want to enjoy their antics. I've been studying primates since 1989 and have been around hundreds so I hope you'll heed my warnings.
Step 2

Andrea and Ziggy

To begin, monkeys are like small children who hide behind their parent's legs. They appear curious and friendly sometimes, but they are very territorial and extremely family-centric. That means that everyone else outside their home circle is a danger.
Step 3

Also, you want to see the little creature so you "stare" or crane your neck to watch them. That is eye-to-eye contact and alerts a monkey to danger. It would be better if you would lower your posture (yes, even to stooping,) and pretend to avert your eyes).

In addition, generally, when people see monkeys they open their mouths in a great big smile - - it's just a natural occurrence. To a monkey, that appears as if the human is bearing their teeth and is a sign of aggression. It would be better if you would pretend to ignore them. They are interested in things they can't get (just like people).
Step 4

And finally, some people even try to reach out to a monkey (as you would in letting a dog smell your hand). This is strictly verboten and any wise monkey mom or dad should caution against that immediately.

God knew what he was doing when he created monkeys. They are faster than snakes, agile (well, they swing from tree to tree), strong and relentless. Do not try to engage a monkey for your own safety. Just enjoy them from a distance and they will want to "show off" for you because you're not making a fuss over them.
Step 5

10 Monkey Property Laws:
1. If I like it, it's mine.The Zigster.jpg
2. If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours.
6. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.