This story begins in the early spring of 2009, when K'S PATH accepted its first baboon, a three-moth old male named JJ.  As is typical with these animals, JJ was stolen from his mother in his native Saudi Arabia, smuggled across the border, then sold at the Friday Market.  A Canadian flight attendant saw him at the market, and, feeling sorry for him, purchased him and brought him home to her tiny apartment.  Her heart was obviously in the right place, but she had neither the skills nor space to care for a wild animal nor the awareness that buying a baboon from the market will only result in more smuggled primates....

K'S PATH now has four baboons, all of them with tragically similar stories to that of little JJ.  At first, we tried to export the baboons to an appropriate facility outside of Kuwait because we lacked the experience or the infrastructure to care for such animals.  An exhaustive search spanning five continents lead to the conclusion that because they are not endangered, no one will take baboons.  We then settled on the fact that we would have to build something ourselves to care for these unwanted primates.  And so we did.  Our

first enclosure was completed in April of 2009, and three baboons immediately  moved in.  They were very excited to have so much space, and we were certain they would live happily ever after in their new home.

When you work in animal welfare, however, nothing really lasts forever.  As we got to know our new charges, we soon realized that while their new space seemed fun and exciting, it was not really appropriate for baboons.  What we didn't know then is that baboons are not fun and playful animals.  They are actually hard workers.  They spend all day searching for food, then they huddle together in trees or ledges at night.  We also learned a lot about the structure of a baboon troop as we watched the competition for food and other resources.  That was when we decided to build a new space that would allow food to be distributed more evenly and in such a way so that it would take them hours to find their food instead of mere minutes.  As you will see in the pictures, the new enclosure gives the individuals plenty of space to be alone, which is especially important for the young baboons during feeding time so that they can get food and hide while they eat it.

The new enclosure is now nearing completion.  We are on track to have the project finished by Christmas, but, as with many projects at K'S PATH, we are short on funds.  You can help to make this dream a reality!  Your donation of cash or goods can make a real difference to our baboons!  Below is a shopping list of items you can buy the next time you are at the grocery store or market.  Send us an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will come pick it up.

You may also feel free to build items found at the following site:  www.enrichementonline.org (make selections in this order: mammals, primates, old world monkey, baboon).

For Christmas this year, our baboons have asked for the following in the biggest quantity you can manage (reasonable amounts of fresh goods):


1. Jam
2. Large books
3. Cardboard tubes (wrapping paper and similar, preferably very strong)
4. Frozen corn
5. Non-toxic potted plants
6. Burlap sacks (potato and similar)
7. Frozen fruit
8. Bananas
9. Buckets
10. Small plastic tubs (.5m across)
11. Empty coffee tins
12. Pvc pipes, elbows and caps (1” and 2”)
13. Strong, empty plastic jugs
14. Paper luncheon bags
15. Kong brand dog toys
16. Noise making materials such as beans, bells, beads, etc
17. Stuffed animals
18. Coconut shells (or whole)
19. Bamboo logs/sticks
20. Pine cones
21. Tree logs
22. Meal worms
23. Crickets
24. Raw, uncooked, un-spiced nuts
25. Sugar cane
26. Cloth mop heads (white kind with long strands, small enough to thread fruit loops on)
27. Fruit loop cereal

You can also cook for them using the following recipes:

Monkey Brownies (Primates)


Roll mixture in an edible leaf and serve.

3 cups mashed banana
2 TBS baking powder
4 eggs (raw)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup Linatone
l cup nuts
l cup milk or water
l cup raisins
4 cups monkey chow dust
l/4 cup honey
*optional: may replace honey with yogurt or molasses.
Blend bananas, eggs, oil, milk or water. Stir together remaining
ingredients and pour in blended mixture. Combine. Pour batter into well
oiled baking pan. Bake at 350' for about 35 minutes.

Pumpkin Paste (Primates)

Blend the following:
4 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
3/4 cup raisins
1 lb can pumpkin
1/4 cup honey
Dash of cinnamon, ginger, allspice.
Add orange juice to create paste consistency.
Form into logs.

Nichole's Pumpkin Brownies (Primates)


Siamang enjoys the treats.

Mix the following:
4 cups monkey chow dust
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
3/4 cup raisins
1 lb can pumpkin
1/4 cup honey
Dash of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, pumpkin pie spice.
Spread mixture into cake pan. Allow to harden in refrigerator for several
hours or overnight. Cut into squares or roll into balls.

Oatmeal Paste (Primates)

Mix the following:
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup non-fat milk
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup fresh fruit
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup grape nuts or wheat germ cereal.
Add water to form a paste consistency. Dab around yard.