Teto arrived at Jungle Friends when he was just two and a half years old, after being kept illegally as a pet in Maryland. His former guardians had already begun arranging his transfer to the sanctuary, concerned about how he might react to a new baby in their home, but before the move could happen, Animal Control intervened. Luckily, their plans to bring him to Jungle Friends were already in motion, otherwise Teto would have been confiscated with an uncertain future.

When he reached the sanctuary, Teto was diabetic and required daily insulin, but with careful monitoring and a healthy diet, he made an impressive recovery and no longer needs treatment. What he has kept, however, is his enormous personality! Teto is a monkey overflowing with opinions, and he doesn’t hesitate to share each one loudly, clearly, and usually with a bit of flair.

He’s also full of harmless mischief, always looking for a chance to make his caregivers’ day just a little more “interesting.” One of his lingering challenges from being pulled from his mother too young is his tendency to untie blankets and carry them outside to rock on, a stereotypical behavior and a quiet reminder of what he endured before arriving at the sanctuary. But alongside that, he has plenty of purely playful antics. He loves swiping at the hats of anyone walking beneath his runway, and if he manages to snag one, he treats it like the prize of the century. He’ll parade around with his trophy draped over his tail all day, proudly showing off his catch like a kid who just won big at an arcade.

Teto may be mischievous, opinionated, and endlessly dramatic, but he’s also resilient, clever, and full of heart. Every day with him is guaranteed to bring a little chaos, a lot of laughter, and a whole bunch of Teto-style attitude.