Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
When investigators visited Gorge Wildlife Park in September 2025, they met Ada. Ada is a capuchin monkey who lives in captivity at the privately run zoo.
When she saw investigator Harley filming her from the other side of the bars, she jumped up, clinging to the metal fence and gesturing frantically until Harley moved closer. When she did, Ada reached through the bars, grabbing the camera and peering curiously into the lens.
Ada was almost certainly born in captivity, a product of Gorge’s captive breeding program which attracts visitors through the promise of cute baby animals. Due to their intelligence, curiosity and friendliness, capuchin monkeys are particularly popular attractions at many zoos, including Gorge.
These qualities meant that capuchins have a long history of being exploited by humans. Known colloquially as the ‘organ grinder’ monkey, they have been used frequently in films, circuses and performances, where they are forced to perform tricks and songs for audiences.
From 1979, capuchin monkeys in the US were trained to assist quadriplegics, in a manner similar to mobility assistance dogs. However, as they are wild animals, these monkeys would have their teeth pulled out and were made to wear belts that would deliver electric shocks. This remained legal until 2010.
In the wild, capuchin monkeys live in Central and South America, from Argentina to Costa Rica. They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any non-human primate and are known to use tools and have complex communities and relationships.
Like all animals, Ada deserves better than a life inside a cage.
Stop supporting Australian Zoos.
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#AustralianZoos #GorgeWildlifePark #CaptivityIsntCute #Captivity #Zoo #FarmTransparencyProject
When investigators visited Gorge Wildlife Park in September 2025, they met Ada. Ada is a capuchin monkey who lives in captivity at the privately run zoo.
When she saw investigator Harley filming her from the other side of the bars, she jumped up, clinging to the metal fence and gesturing frantically until Harley moved closer. When she did, Ada reached through the bars, grabbing the camera and peering curiously into the lens.
Ada was almost certainly born in captivity, a product of Gorge’s captive breeding program which attracts visitors through the promise of cute baby animals. Due to their intelligence, curiosity and friendliness, capuchin monkeys are particularly popular attractions at many zoos, including Gorge.
These qualities meant that capuchins have a long history of being exploited by humans. Known colloquially as the ‘organ grinder’ monkey, they have been used frequently in films, circuses and performances, where they are forced to perform tricks and songs for audiences.
From 1979, capuchin monkeys in the US were trained to assist quadriplegics, in a manner similar to mobility assistance dogs. However, as they are wild animals, these monkeys would have their teeth pulled out and were made to wear belts that would deliver electric shocks. This remained legal until 2010.
In the wild, capuchin monkeys live in Central and South America, from Argentina to Costa Rica. They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any non-human primate and are known to use tools and have complex communities and relationships.
Like all animals, Ada deserves better than a life inside a cage.
Stop supporting Australian Zoos.
-
-
#AustralianZoos #GorgeWildlifePark #CaptivityIsntCute #Captivity #Zoo #FarmTransparencyProject
