Before they had names or a home, they were just cargo. Five tiny spider monkeys, smuggled into the U.S., separated from their mothers, and barely alive.
“They were malnourished, traumatized. Their mothers were likely killed,” said Kim Skelton, director of primate care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
“They came from an illegal wildlife trade system that is anything but humane.”
That system, driven by demand for exotic pets, leaves deep scars.
For Skelton, the five monkeys now settling into life at Brookfield Zoo aren’t just survivors. They’re a call to action.
“Most people don’t realize how long-lived these animals are,” she said. “They’ll need around 50 years of specialized lifelong care.”
After months of rehabilitation at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Houston Zoo, the monkeys arrived in Brookfield as a bonded group. But even now, adjusting is a slow process.
“They’re just starting to see other species, like capuchins and squirrel monkeys — probably for the first time in their lives,” Skelton said.
“Helping them feel confident enough to explore and interact with their surroundings has been both rewarding and challenging.”
It’s not just that they were rescued. They represent what’s lost every time a primate is taken from the wild.
“These are endangered primates,” she said. “Their mothers were likely killed. Maybe others in their group, too. This isn’t just about pets. It’s about destruction.”
The monkeys are now part of the James & Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forests, the zoo’s $66 million immersive primate exhibit. It’s the largest of its kind in the country.
For guests, they offer a rare, face-to-face look at animals recovering from real trauma. For Skelton and her team, their care is a lifelong responsibility.
Across the exhibit, another group of primates is getting used to a new home, in a very different way.
Shango and Barney, two silverback brothers from Zoo Miami, are forming the zoo’s first bachelor troop of western lowland gorillas.
Unlike family groups led by a dominant male, bachelor troops reflect a different stage in gorilla life. It’s a phase marked by competition, play, and shifting hierarchies.
“Bachelor groups tend to be a little more active,” Skelton said. “You’ll see a lot of play and displays — mock charges, chest-beating, wrestling. It’s very different from a family troop.”
In the wild, young males are pushed out of their birth group during adolescence and often band together.
These bachelor alliances can last for years or even a lifetime. They help prepare gorillas to eventually lead a group or stay independent.
“It provides a social opportunity while they’re in that surging hormone period,” Skelton said.
Shango, 36, and Barney, 31, have lived together for years and are already closely bonded. One of their longtime keepers will travel with them to help ease the transition.
“I’ve worked with gorillas for 20 years,” Skelton said. “In my experience, they adapt pretty quickly. They pick things up and handle change smoothly.”
Tropical Forests features four expansive outdoor habitats and glass-fronted indoor spaces.
The design brings visitors closer to primates than ever before, always at the animals’ choice. The exhibit also houses the Gorilla Conservation Center and the King Conservation Leadership Academy, giving students and the public access to conservation education tied directly to what they’re seeing.
“It gives guests the opportunity to get close and face-to-face with the animals, in a way we haven’t done before,” Skelton said.
For Skelton, this exhibit isn’t just about display. It’s about truth and responsibility.
“They tell the story of what’s happening in the wild,” she said. “And why it matters.”