Sara is a 10-year old black and white Capuchin who participates in our educational program. At first, we thought she was sick because she would not eat mushrooms; however, whenever the mushrooms were removed from her cage, she flew down and grabbed her banana but would fly to the top again when they were replaced in her cage. We soon realized that she was simply afraid of them—she will threaten a mushroom with a full open mouth and bark at it, presenting an excellent opportunity for children to observe her facial expressions and hear her vocalizations during the sanctuary’s educational presentations. She also sometimes throws food at the volunteers and will clean out her cage if an empty box is placed in front of it.
