Gavin’s arrival at Jungle Friends was nothing short of a surprise. Born to Elizabeth, one of the capuchins rescued from a bankrupt roadside zoo, his birth was a shock—especially since we were told all the males in the group had been vasectomized. To everyone’s amazement, three babies were born, with Gavin being the cheekiest of the bunch. Once the news settled, Gavin, his mom Elizabeth, and his aunt Zaney were relocated to a peaceful habitat where they could care for the sanctuary’s newest, and most energetic, member.

Gavin is a living reminder of why monkeys belong in the wild. Raised by his mother, he displays none of the anxious, stereotypical behaviors often seen in monkeys raised in captivity. Instead, Gavin thrives—darting through the trees, swinging on ropes, and launching himself from one hammock to the next. His energy knows no bounds, and neither does his curiosity. The sanctuary team has learned that any carefully arranged habitat decorations—rope ladders, toys, buckets—are fair game for Gavin’s relentless need to dismantle and destroy. It’s become a game for the staff to guess how long their setup will last before Gavin’s energetic antics take over.

Always in motion, Gavin is a force of nature—wild at heart and living his best life, exactly as nature intended.