Bush-babies Thriving at a Wild Safe-Haven

Do you remember our gorgeous Mohammad the thick-tailed bush-baby ex-pet?

Mohammad came to C.A.R.E. very overweight after spending years on a diet of marshmallows and human foods. Greater galagos, or thick-tailed bush-babies in the wild have a varied diet, made up of insects, other small animals, wild fruits and tree gums. Keeping indigenous wild animals as pets in South Africa is illegal, thankfully for Mohammad was surrendered to C.A.R.E. in order to be given a chance of a more natural, free life.

At C.A.R.E. Mohammad spent a while in a cage within the bush where insects could enter (which encouraged him to hunt again) and native wildlife surrounded him. C.A.R.E. is situated in a wildlife reserve besides the Olifant's River (within the natural range of the bush babies). Volunteers helped to feed Mohammad a special diet which included insects and primate gum and slowly the excess weight began to shed. Mohammad had a lot of trouble climbing due to the years spent in a small cage, with some rope ladders, ropes and branches put into his enclosure at various heights it was great to see him venturing out more and becoming more confident.

Mohammad was released in 2012 onto a beautiful, privately owned wild property. A recent camera trap photo from near the spot that Mohammad enjoyed a soft release, showed the greater galagos, or thick-tailed bushbabies at night. So far 5 have been captured in one frame! Has Mohammad been breeding?! It's amazing to see these nocturnal primates thriving and safe.

Galagos, also known as bushbabies, bush babies, or nagapies (meaning "little night monkeys" in Afrikaans), are small, nocturnal primates native to Africa, and make up the family Galagidae (also sometimes called Galagonidae). It is illegal to keep indigenous wild animals as pets in South Africa.