Meant to Be

The "enrichments" can also help distract cooped-up primates from fighting.

Megna and fellow research assistant Jessica Ganas met little resistance when they pitched the idea to Yerkes. At the Medical Arts Health Facility, a nearby senior citizen's home, their idea garnered enthusiasm from activities coordinator Merrikaye Johnson.

"It was almost a 'meant-to-be,' fated kind of thing," says Megna. "Merrikaye had been thinking about changing careers to work with animals. When we called her, she got goose bumps. She's great because she's animal oriented."

Today, Medical Arts residents produce enough treats for all 1,400 primates housed at Yerkes Field station.

"That's 18 hours a week we just do not have," says Megna of the seniors' contribution.

Though they might seem trivial, the treats- sometimes called enrichments- can make a big difference to the captive primates. In nature, the rhesus monkey is one of the more aggressive species. In captivity, run-of the-mill squabbles can get out of hand.

"The animals have nowhere to go," says Megna. "They can really belabor a point."

But many of the disagreements that might have ended with a wounded rhesus now end when a member of the Yerkes staff tosses in treats made by the Medical Arts residents. As the monkeys tear open the package, the snacks inside scatter everywhere, distracting the animals from even the most serious argument.

"That's the beauty of these treat cups," says Megna. "Everyone will get a little something, right down to the kids."

In addition to ending arguments, the treat cups add variety to the animals' diets and stave off boredom. Primates can spend hours scavenging for the scattered contents of the treat cups, much as they would spend the better part of their day foraging in the wild. Indulging this natural behavior relieves the stress of being captive.

The volunteers enjoy making the treats as much as the primates enjoy eating them. Treat production is one of the most popular activities around at the Medical Arts Health Facility, giving participants a sense of purpose.

"There's a stigma about nursing homes, but only 30 per cent of our residents are over 65," says Johnson. "They need something to do besides play bingo."

Thanks to volunteers like these, treats are now made for all the Yerkes primates.

Yerkes does as much as possible to show the seniors appreciation. They present each volunteer with a personalized certificate of appreciation, post photos of the primates around the medical center and send videos of the animals enjoying the treat packages. Even more rewarding though, is the chance to visit the beneficiaries. Medical Arts sends over groups of seniors as often as they can, which, according to Megna, turns out to be about four times a year. Megna recalls one especially enthusiastic visitor, a mother of six and foster-mother to dozens. These days, she focuses her maternal energy on the primates. "I have residents who are depressed who decided this is worth getting out of bed for," says Johnson. "I get to give them a reason to get up- that's why I do this job."

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Photos: Samantha Smith; Gwinnett Extended Care Center