Capuchin Monkey Aides: Unusual Helpers
The capuchin (ka-pyoo-chin) monkey looks surprisingly human with its big and intelligent eyes. But its hands are the most amazing of all. The small monkey's hands, fingers, and thumbs look and function just like a human's.
Monkeys in Service
Because of their tiny, dexterous hands, and helpful attitude, capuchins are well suited as helpers to people who are severely disabled. They are especially helpful to quadriplegics, people who cannot use their arms and legs.
A quadriplegic's spinal cord has been damaged to the point that the nerves can no longer send messages to the brain to move the limbs. Quadriplegics spend their days mostly in wheelchairs. Capuchins can restore some sense of independence and dignity for quadriplegics as well as offer affection.
Using their humanlike fingers, monkey helpers perform many simple tasks for the disabled person. For example, the capuchins can unscrew a jar lid, pick up items as tiny as a piece of thread or as large as a magazine, and insert cassettes or CDs. They also fetch food and drinks from a refrigerator. They turn lights on or off, scratch an itch for their companions, and even comb their hair.
The presence of an affectionate capuchin monkey relieves the hours of loneliness that quadriplegics sometimes feel. Most importantly, the monkey allows the quadriplegic to achieve a certain level of independence.
Why Capuchin Monkeys?
Capuchins are among the most intelligent and friendly of monkeys. They range in size from thirteen to twenty-two inches long and weigh between three and eleven pounds. Their tails are about the same length as their small bodies. Female capuchins are more suitable as helpers than male capuchins because they are more controllable and bite less readily.
These tiny helpers can live for thirty to forty years, and can be of service for a long time. In comparison, a guide dog, trained to help the blind, has a life span of about ten years. And it costs the same amount ($25,000) to train the dog as it does to train a capuchin. The idea to train monkeys for this task is relatively new--it first began in 1977.
An Idea in the Making
Dr. Mary Joan Willard was a behavioral psychologist and assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine when she befriended a quadriplegic named Joe, who was left severely paralyzed after a car accident. Dr. Willard began visiting Joe every day. She brushed his hair, brought him drinks, put cassettes in his tape player, and performed other easy tasks.
Dr. Willard knew about research involving animal learning. She believed that an intelligent animal with "hands" could be trained to do repetitive tasks for quadriplegics. Her first thought for such an animal was a chimpanzee.
However, because an average chimpanzee weighs 150 to 200 pounds, Dr. Willard believed it would be too difficult for a quadriplegic to handle or control. She eventually realized that the small capuchin monkey was a better choice for her project.
At first, Dr. Willard tried training older capuchins. Some people donated their pet monkeys, and others were obtained from zoos. Dr. Willard soon discovered, however, that these capuchins did not completely trust humans. Instead, she decided that having humans raise capuchins from infancy would work best.
First Monkey Helper Assigned
In 1979, Robert Foster from Watertown, Massachusetts, was the first quadriplegic to receive a monkey helper. The three-year-old female capuchin, named Hellion, fed her twenty-five-year-old owner daily. Hellion opened, closed, and locked doors with a key, she turned lights on and off, and she moved small objects from one place to another.
But when Robert was reading or watching television, Hellion became mischievous. The monkey overturned wastebaskets, scattered the trash, and knocked over objects around the house. She had to learn that certain household objects were off limits. Hellion was returned to the center for additional training.
Skepticism Faces Capuchin Helpers
In 1981, scientists were still skeptical that capuchin monkeys could be used to assist quadriplegics. But Dr. Willard was not discouraged. "We think our work could have a significant impact on the daily lives of those who have a real need to supplement the help that is provided by human and mechanical [such as electric wheelchairs] means," she said. Thus, Dr. Willard continued working on her project. The following year, she founded Helping Hands: Simian Aides for the Disabled.
Today, more than twenty years later, a total of sixty capuchins have been assigned to quadriplegics all over the United States. Judi Zazula conducts a thorough evaluation of each applicant. "Not all quadriplegics are super people," she says. "A lazy person before an accident will likely be a lazy [unmotivated] paralyzed person." Zazula wants applicants who are energetic and interested.
Before a capuchin is assigned to a quadriplegic, however, it must live with a foster family and undergo formal training. Helping Hands relies on foster homes where caring people are willing to raise a tiny infant capuchin, giving it the same love and care they would give a human newborn.