By Walt

To begin with I worked at a small zoo and one of my duties was to care for all the needs of the primates. Scotty was just a few weeks old and the decision was made to remove him and hand raise him. It was my duty to tranquilize the parents and go in the enclosure and remove Scotty. I did this without my heart in it because I knew I was pulling a family apart. I carried Scotty home that night and all he did was hide in the very back of his carrier. I made no attempt to push myself on him and allowed him to decide when he wanted to accept me. After three days he screamed and ran form his carrier and attached himself to my leg where he remained for the most part of the day. Luckily I was off that day. After only two weeks, I returned Scotty to the zoo area where his parents were he just hugged me and his parents acted as if they did not know who little Scotty was, he never looked back. He did have an older sister at the zoo who I would bring home from time to time and let them play and they bonded quite well.

(more…)