Khy is a rambunctious male snow monkey who arrived at the sanctuary in August 2009. Sold as a “pet” when he was a baby, he quickly demonstrated his desire for independence. Then, when he reached the age of two, Khy began to display unpredictable behaviors – typical of the abnormal emotional development of a monkey kept in captivity – and his “owner” needed to find a new home for him.

When Khy first came to us, he was quite a handful. But, his high energy, exuberance, and low tolerance for anything resembling constraint quickly endeared him to us. However, we had a dilemma receiving Khy this early in his development. Given his behavior, we were confident that he could eventually be integrated into one of the large troops of snow monkeys living naturally in one of the multi-acre enclosures, but he needed a safe home to gain experience with the big monkeys until he could get a bit bigger. We modified a good-sized cage and set little Khy up with his own heated sleeping quarters, where he would be protected from the elements yet remain outside to observe normal monkey behavior and interact with some of the residents.

Now, years later, after observing more mature neighbors and learning how to act and communicate with others, Khy shares his enclosure with another former “pet.” They continue to grow and learn together.