Monkey saved from angry mob

One of the SPCA’s inspectors, Jerry Seemise, received a call in the morning from a concerned community member to come and with the rescue.

Upon arrival, some community members were climbing up the trees in order to catch the monkey themselves.

“Our inspector had to talk the angry mob down as they wished to capture the monkey and burn it to death as the residents believed it was linked to witchcraft,” wrote the association’s chairperson Brenda Lucas.

The community refused to step down and items such as slingshots were used to try and hit the monkey out of the trees. The association then contacted various animal rehabilitation centres to come and assist them with the rescue of the monkey. Community Led Animal Welfare (Claw) organisation answered their call.

Claw set up traps for the monkey, but once it was safely in the cage the angry mob once again demanded that the monkey be released to them.

According to Lucas, Seemise drove to the Ivory Park police to request assistance in the safe removal of the monkey. Armed response company, Ria Sebetsa, also sent out a vehicle to come to their aid. The one police officer from Ivory Park could not control the angry mob and he called in back up from Olifantsfontein Police Station and Tembisa Police Station as all other units at Ivory Park were out on call. Once the police were on the site, the monkey was bought down from the trees and was escorted to safety by the police.