'Monkey lady' of Mount Middleton delights in plush primates

There's some monkey business going onat a home in Mount Middleton, a small community near Sussex.

Hundreds of stuffed primateshangingfrom trees, sitting on lawn chairs, sporting hats and sunglassescreatea jungle-land spectacle in rural New Brunswick.

Diane Alcock is the person who created and oversees this plushzoo.

Known as the monkey lady, over the past 26 years Alcock has collected more than 500 monkeys, orangutans, baboons and chimpanzees, though not all are on display in her yard. Many are in her house and garage, as well.

WATCH /Monkeybusiness: stuffed apes swinging on treetops

Monkey lady thrills New Brunswickers with arrangement of stuffed animals

2 years ago

Duration 4:22

With more than 100 stuffed monkeys, chimpanzees and orangutans dangling from her trees, this N.B. woman turns her home into an exotic spectacle

Alcocksaidshe enjoys the reaction the primates provoke when people discover her colourful yard,especially amongchildren.

"People just stop and take pictures and yell awesome! It's neat," she said. "It's great.

"And the kids love it. We've got quite a few kids on the road that come up and look at the monkeys."

Alcock bought her first monkey, named Ralph, at a yard sale while at a campground in Mill Cove.

When she positionedthe primate in a tree on her site, she noticed peoplestopping to take photos.

"Kids brought me some, and every yard sale I went to I bought monkeys," she said. "The kids just said, 'We are going to the monkey lady.' That's how I got the [nickname]."

Hey, hey, we're the monkeys

She can't really explain why she loves this primate paradiseso much.

Her real joy is seeing otherpeople delight in the spectacle. She said it's what keeps her going.

"I didn't think it was going to grow as big as it did. It just happened. I like monkeys."

She continuesto frequent yard sales and flea markets looking for more to add to her troop.

She and her husband Gordon are looking to fill every bare branch within sight.

"It's a feeling of enjoyment for us and satisfaction to see the kids appreciate something like that," Gordon said.

"If the kids appreciate it, we appreciate it."