This is part 1 of 2. Join Iman Goueli as she interviews Carmen Presti, the founder of The Primate Sanctuary. This sanctuary is located in Niagara Falls, New York and is the only primate sanctuary in the Northeastern part of the United States. It has been around since the 1980s and became a non-profit 501c3 organization in the year 2000. The sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing unwanted, abused ex-pets and research monkeys and apes. Mr. Presti and his primates have appeared on numerous television shows including "Animal Planet" and "Live with Regis and Kathy Lee" in the late 1990s. At that time, Charlie, was their main star who has since retired from being the "Karate Chimp". "National Geographic Explorer's" footage of Charlie's martial arts expertise is online today and is still licensed to help raise funds for the sanctuary.  See Charlie's karate kick via the link below.  You can also see Koko and Charlie's intelligent manipulation of tools and a drill by also clicking on the same link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekd-2bbobkw In addition, you will meet Pauly, the marmoset monkey, and gain first-hand insight of self-mutilation and mental health when dealing with primates. Topics discussed in this episode include the following: *Old and New World Monkeys and Prosimians *Costs of maintaining a healthy primate *The laws governing primate ownership *The dark side of exotic pet auctions and breeding facilities--(money is everything at the cost of pulling primate babies away from moms) *Personal Primate stories and how they were rescued. *Primate family hierarchy, understanding that primate breeding is a learned behavior *Primate Canines and the dangers of owning a monkey *Monkey self-mutilation, rocking, and mental issues arising from captivity *Labs and primate research FOLLOW for PART 2: You won't want to miss this! ****The interview is for 2 hours as there was a plethora of important information to cover. Therefore, it has been separated into two parts.  Don't forget to go to part 2 to meet the other monkeys, learn their stories, and find out how you can help.**** Website: www.theprimatesanctuary.com https://theprimatesanc.wpengine.com