Book Recommendations, Reviews and Author Interviews from All-Creatures.org

From Harm to Healing: Sanctuary Stories of Rescue, Resilience, and Recovery By Ruth Montiel Arias and Liz Tyson

PUBLISHER: Lantern Publishing & Media

SEVERAL REVIEWS

REVIEWS

A moving and engrossing photographic narrative exploring the lives—past and present—of some of the rescued monkeys currently residing at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in South Texas, USA.

From Harm to Healing combines photography and narrative to explore the stories of eight monkeys rescued from traumatic and abusive situations and rehomed to one of the largest animal sanctuaries in the United States, the Born Free Primate Sanctuary.

With an honest and open approach to the work of sanctuaries, the book seeks to consider the complexities and challenges of life after rescue. It posits the work of sanctuaries not simply as a “happily ever after” for victims of the pet trade, vivisection, and zoos, but as a journey toward recovery that may take years, or even decades. Wild animals such as monkeys remain caged even in sanctuaries of the absolute highest standards. Understanding this, the book explores the ethical obligations and challenges faced by the staff, as well as the monkeys and their individual obstacles, that must be overcome in the journey to recovery.

Ultimately, From Harm to Healing seeks to share the individual tales of the monkeys from their perspective and makes the case that, while sanctuaries are vital to protect animals from further harm, they are not the answer to end animal suffering. Indeed, the only way in which we can end the suffering of exploited wild animals is to tackle the source head on. In the meantime, sanctuaries continue to pick up the pieces and do what they can to help victims of exploitation move from situations of harm to those of healing.

“All nonhuman primates are profoundly complex, intelligent, and emotional beings who are born to live in dynamic and ever-changing societies with family, friends, and competitors. Tragically, these sentient beings kept as pets have had their opportunities to live full natural lives in freedom snatched from them at birth. Those lucky enough to find their way to sanctuaries do not experience immediate good lives but embark on a long journey of recovery as they navigate living alongside those of their own kind for the first time. From Harm to Healing tells the stories of eight monkeys rescued from the pet trade. Some heartwarming, and some heartbreaking, this important book gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of one of the largest primate sanctuaries in the U.S.”
~ Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., Author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy―and Why They Matter

“The exotic pet trade rips wild animals away from their homes and families, causing unimaginable stress and suffering to individuals and entire groups of primates who live in complex societies. The trade disrupts ecosystems and in some cases pushes endangered species to extinction. This important book takes you behind the scenes of a ruthless trade and shines a light on the hard work behind the creation of a new and torture free life for eight beautiful individuals, who were lucky enough to have found a home at the primate sanctuary. Neatly illustrated and written, it highlights that keeping wildlife in captivity is not only cruel for animals but dangerous for people. How many more tragic stories does our society need to encounter, till we finally do what is right—keep wildlife in the wild.”
~ Britta Jaschinski, Conservation Photographer

“A deeply evocative book, with outstandingly beautiful images. A book to treasure as a celebration of free-living animals, now thankfully rescued. A lovely tribute to those who dare to care.”
~ The Revd. Professor Andrew Linzey, PhD, DD, HonDD, Director, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics

“Reading a book about monkeys should not make you weep. But this one does—so much unnecessary suffering is caused by the primate pet trade. Scientists like to analyze data from large sample sizes, but case studies can often illuminate an issue with greater clarity than graphs and statistics. From Harm to Healing documents the lives and in some cases the deaths, of just eight monkeys. Sensitively written, some stories have a joyful outcome, some a tragic one, whether for the monkey or the former owner or both—the phrases ‘large canine teeth’ and ‘life-changing injuries’ appear more than once. Should be required reading for anyone considering acquiring a ‘pet’ primate—or indeed any exotic pet!”
~ Ian Redmond, OBE FZS FLS—Tropical Field Biologist and Conservationist

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ruth Montiel Arias graduated in Applied Arts from the Pablo Picasso Higher School of Arts in A Coruña, she completed the Master of Photography EFTI International Center for Photography and Film in Madrid. Her projects investigate the human relationship with natural territory, and its derived conflicts of domination and animal, social, and environmental oppression. In 2020, she published Bestiae, a photo book about hunting, and in 2021, she published El 2%, an artist book about the relationship between humans and monkeys. Her photographs have been shown and published in a variety of media in Spain. Her work has also been exhibited in cultural institutions such as the Cultural Center of Spain in Lima, Landkreis Galerie in Germany, Museum of Memory in Argentina, BAAD! (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance) in New York, Casa Encendida, National Calcografía, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Conde Duque Cultural Center, and Matadero in Madrid, Cristina Enea Foundation in Donostia, Las Cigarreras in Alicante and Cidade da Cultura in Santiago de Compostela. She has also exhibited in galleries in Madrid, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires.

Dr. Liz Tyson is Born Free USA’s Programs Director. She has helped animals across the globe. She helped to establish the very first locally run sterilization program for street dogs in the Middle East, worked with indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon to end the hunting of wild primates, ran a UK charity campaigning to end the exploitation of animals in circuses and zoos, and helped design a new rehabilitation complex for rescued monkeys at Ensessa Kotteh, Born Free’s sanctuary in Ethiopia. In 2018, she earned her doctorate in animal welfare law. In 2020, Liz published Licensing Laws and Animal Welfare: The Legal Protection of Wild Animals with Palgrave MacMillan/Springer Nature. The book outlines the findings of her doctoral research, which is the most comprehensive study of the legal protection of wild animals in English zoos carried out to date. Liz splits her time between campaigning for wild animal freedom and overseeing the running of the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in south Texas. She lives in San Marcos, TX, with her daughter, Anna Patricia, and her two rescued dogs: Maya and Stanley Millett.

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