TikTok

The Charity is always ready to step up and fund primate rescues and especially when the individuals involved are casualties of the UK’s trade in primates as pets. Sadly for TikTok and multiple others just like her, they often end up with people who are unprepared and unable to provide them with the specialist care, husbandry, diet and companionship that they need.

TikTok weighed only 110g on arrival, the staff believe that she was around 4 months old, which is far too young to be without her parents. After the necessary health checks were carried out, the first priority was to provide TikTok with much needed companionship. Clydie had been used as a breeding female in the pet trade prior to her arrival at Monkey World, she was an experienced mother, and had successfully adopted several other infant marmosets before.

When Clydie was let into TikTok’s room, TikTok immediately moved towards her and started to “baby cry” which is a normal marmoset vocalisation. Clydie calmly gave TikTok a quick sniff and decided that she was now her baby and in less than a minute she had TikTok on her back. They were left together that night as the staff were confident in Clydie’s maternal instincts. The next morning, the staff were overjoyed to see that Clydie was in her basket grooming TikTok – Foster mum Clydie and little TikTok had bonded.

To complete TikTok’s new family, the staff then had the task of introducing TikTok to Ronnie, Clydies partner. They waited until TikTok was on Clydie’s back and seized the moment. Ronnie charged into the bedroom, puffed his hair up, and started chuntering at the new arrival. TikTok was brave enough to leave the safety of Clydie and bounce over to Ronnie, she wasn’t intimidated by him at all.

Brave little TikTok continued to focus her attention on Ronnie, “baby crying” in his face and pulling at his ear tufts. By the end of the day, Ronnie was observed encouraging TikTok to climb onto his back.  As the days progressed, Ronnie and TikTok found their rhythm together and the Primate Care Staff started to see all of the positive signs they had been looking for. Ronnie willingly carried TikTok around the enclosure and became a complete pushover letting her steal food straight out of his mouth

As soon as the family had been seen regularly snuggling up together in their nest, they were left overnight together unsupervised. We’re so thankful that Clydie and Ronnie have adopted little TikTok and given her the family she so desperately needed, and we are so pleased that we were able to provide the funding required for TikTok’s rescue.