Skittles entered the world as one of the unexpected babies born shortly after a large group of capuchins was rescued from a failing roadside zoo. Despite claims that all males had been vasectomized, several surprise infants, including Skittles, proved that wasn’t quite true. To ensure her mother Rachel and devoted Aunt Monica could care for her peacefully, the trio was moved into their own quiet habitat, where Skittles could grow up surrounded by the two monkeys who loved her most.

Because she was raised entirely by capuchins, never hand-reared or overly exposed to humans, Skittles developed exactly as nature intended. She didn’t grow up with the stereotypical stress behaviors often seen in monkeys who lose their mothers too early, like rocking or thumb-sucking. Instead, Skittles blossomed into a confident, fully wild capuchin, guided by her mom’s instincts and her aunt’s steady presence.

Now an adult, Skittles lives with her boyfriend Leo, and together they make a spirited, energetic pair. She’s cautious with humans and prefers to keep her distance, watching quietly from the safety of her branches. But among monkeys, she is completely at ease- darting through her habitat, climbing high, foraging with focus, and communicating in the rich, subtle ways capuchins do when they’ve grown up secure and nurtured.

Skittles is a vibrant reminder of what’s possible when monkeys get the chance to be raised by their own families: a life rooted in confidence, instinct, and true capuchin spirit.