The most talked-about ‘thing’ in this project is the hot, arduous climb ‘upstairs’ to see the primates (pic below). Ella, in my eyes, the real star volunteer, made this trip three times today. At 5.30am in the dark, with me in tow at 8am and then again at 1pm. Not only is it a stiffling hot steep long climb, but you are always carrying: food for the animals, hampers containing drugs, your own backpack and today I carried a plastic bucket bigger than myself. The irony is not lost on me that we humans are in a new role as pack animals serving the pesky primates.

I have made the trip ‘upstairs’ every day and on a couple of occasions twice in a day. Today, though, I was afforded more time to observe the animals, and I use the word ‘pesky’ only in jest. They are the most wonderful animals to watch up close, and I now understand how primatologists make them their life’s work. They are like watching 3-year-old children, but on steroids. All their actions seem playful, comical, inquisitive, intelligent, and everything is done at warp speed. I watched a langur today eating a piece of sweetcorn held in her right hand, just as she was taking the last bite and dropping it from her hand, she had in that split second looked over, picked up another piece of food with her left hand and readied it to her mouth. It put our human brain-to-hand-to-mouth coordination skills look shameful. I was also close enough to watch two females preening a baby (a baby of a different species they have adopted and protect with all their will). One preened the baby’s leg, the other an arm. They each ran a finger upwards through the baby’s hair in a really intent and methodical way, looking for mites. What fascinating creatures.

The Centre has (I think) 4 yellow- and white-cheeked gibbons, 2 Laos Langurs, 6 indochinese silvered langurs, 3 grey langurs, 1 red-shanked douc langur, and 3 macaques in the clinic. I’m not fully sure because of the complex pattern of eating and release. What I do know for sure is that all were either found in markets in Laos or were victims of the illegal pet trade in monkeys. What I can’t say for sure, but I hazard a guess that they now look like they’re living their best lives. Yes, there are squabbles and the baby langur, fed milk formula every 4 hours, will need to fight to get through the first six months, but the others look happy, healthy, and I would even say, joyous.

I know commonly we say that when you look in the eyes of a primate, we see ourselves. I agree with this, 100 per cent, but I only want to add that you can see a more joyous version of ourselves!