Mikki spent more than three decades in the entertainment industry, performing as an organ-grinder monkey. Like many monkeys used for that purpose, her teeth were pulled so she could be handled more easily- a painful reminder of a past built on human expectation rather than monkey needs. When her performing days finally ended, Mikki came to Jungle Friends to begin a very different chapter of her life.

Today, Mikki lives with Gini Rose, another toothless weeper capuchin, and the two make a perfect pair. Both are lively, curious, and endlessly nosey, always keeping an eye on the runways and their neighbors to make sure they don’t miss a single bit of

monkey drama. Mikki is especially quick and energetic, darting across her habitat the moment she notices someone approaching.

And she definitely expects visitors to arrive with snacks. If Mikki spots you, she’ll hurry over, clap her hands, and hold one out expectantly, confident that you must have something delicious for her. If you don’t? She’ll simply clap again…and again…until her message is crystal clear. Mikki may have come from a life of performance, but now she gets to spend her days being exactly what she is: an active, opinionated, wonderfully nosy monkey who finally gets to live on her own terms.