CERCOPAN

Category: Cercopan, Monkeys, Nigeria, Uncategorized | Date: Jul 31 2008 | By: cercopan

by Kristine Krynitzki,

Most of us go through life taking for granted the care we receive from our parents; the provision of food, shelter, love, the simple presence of an elder family member to shield us from the worldly dangers of the environment that surrounds us. But imagine if at only two weeks old you were left to fend for yourself, ripped from your mother’s protective embrace, alone, staring up at the big bad world with no one at your side. This is how Melody’s life began. 

Baby Melody

Melody arrived at CERCOPAN so small and fragile that many people did not think she would live past the week’s end. She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t stand up. She could barely open her tiny little eyes.

Kristine and Melody when she first arrived

Usually babies cling to their mothers for months and this little one barely had two weeks. As can only be expected, Melody arrived with serious separation issues. She was, and still is, very timid and afraid of being alone, always needing to cling to someone. The second she is forced to let go she wails uncontrollably, seemingly afraid that she is being forced to go through that tragic, traumatic experience all over again. Melody only feels truly safe when she is clinging to her surrogate mother  and when her stress levels become too high we are forced to darken her box to calm her.  

Melody clinging to her surrogate mum 

Like a child afraid of the imaginary boogie man hiding in the closet, she hides under her blanket to escape at the slightest unexpected sound. Luckily, with care and attention at CERCOPAN I am sure that Melody will overcome that fear someday. 

Melody comforts herself by sucking her toe

It has been three weeks since Melody became a member of the CERCOPAN family and she continues to show progress, proving all of those who doubted her survival wrong. With baby steps she is now happy to frolic with her new friend Joy, who joined us just a few days ago. Although Joy is slightly older and so bullies Melody a little sometimes, I believe the relationship is already making her stronger.  Melody feels free to roam around the sofa so long as her surrogate mother (her mum- a stuffed monkey) is still in view, and she widens her comfort zone more and more every day. When Joy is close by and something frightens her she will now cling to Joy for support sometimes, rather than the mum. This small step on the path towards integration with other monkeys is enough to make any mother proud. 

Melody now holding her own