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Monkey Island: In Cayo Santiago, Monkeys Rule
Their behavior has been studied for over 80 years because 94% of their DNA is identical to humans.
The Caribbean Primate Research Center on Monkey Island is one of the world’s top institutions for studying primate behavior.
Some 1,500 rhesus macaques live a mile off the eastern shore of Puerto Rico on Cayo Santiago.
The island, known locally as Monkey Island, first became home to these unlikely inhabitants in the late 1930s, when primatologist Clarence Carpenter brought about 450 monkeys by ship from India to the 38-acre island to study their social and sexual behaviors.
Through that initial pioneering research, the tree-studded enclave eventually became home to the Caribbean Primate Research Center, an educational and research facility that’s part of the University of Puerto Rico.
Since its official establishment in 1970, the center has built a reputation as a pioneer in the field of primate research. It has made many significant contributions to our understanding of both primate and human behavior.
