Gilligan - March 1 1989-June 14 2004
Gilligan, an eleven year eight month old male rhesus macaque was rescued with the help of many people. He arrived at Mindy's Memory sanctuary in June of 2000. A victim of abuse and neglect his entire life. Gilligan lived in a small wooden shack of which his only source of light, a small window, was boarded up after it was broken. Enduring pitch darkness without the benefit of fresh air in summer, or heat in winter, Gilligan still survived. When allowed out of the wooden box, Gilligan was collared and tethered in a junk filled yard. Gilligan's nutrition was a sack of dog food placed outside of his box, where he could reach his hand through to eat. This and moldy bread sustained Gilligan for the last ten years of his existence. Gilligans' water source was green and scum covered. Mindy's Memory gave Gilligan four good years of life with shade, sunshine, grass and natural wood perches. A large heated house for winter with an extra large window he could see out of with a rubber flap so he could enter and exit at will. Gilligan had a friend--a large male pig tail macaque named Mercury. Although there was never any physical contact between the two, they would hang out together and they had at least the company of another primate. Mercury had been released from research. I am certain Mercury misses his companion of the past four years. Gilligan will be missed, even with all his neglect, he was a gentle and undemanding monkey. |