Big Giver Gets A Monkey Named In His Honor

Plenty of big givers get a building named after them but it's not every day that a philanthropist gets his own monkey. Philanthropy.com tells the story of Jon Stryker and Rhinopithecus strykeri, the newly discovered species of monkey that bears his name. Stryker, a philanthropist and founder of the Arcus Foundation, which protects great apes, was given the honor by the charity that identified the creatures in Myanmar this summer.

Stryker, who has a great interest in primates, was touched by the gesture. Sadly, Mr. Stryker's monkey is endangered. Fauna and Flora International says that just 330 of the monkeys are alive now and that increased hunting is putting the monkey at risk. In local dialects this animal is called mey nwoah, 'monkey with an upturned face.' Its snub nose collects water when it rains, causing the monkey to sneeze. It also has a relatively long tail, approximately 140 per cent of its body size. No photographs exist of the monkey, so the charity commissioned an artist's rendering. The Philanthropy.com article reports that Fauna and Flora International was worried what Stryker's reaction would be to the look of the unusual monkey. Happily, he calls them "the most beautiful monkeys I have ever seen."