‘Cruelty is not accepted’

Sandton SPCA inspectors were hard at work after discovering a vervet monkey being in kept in terrible conditions in Troyeville, South of Joburg.

After assessing its living environment, it was discovered that the monkey was kept in captivity for six years. According to an official Facebook post from the Sandton SPCA, the monkey was housed in foul conditions in a small cage with dirty and contaminated food bowls. The owner admitted that, during the monkey’s time in captivity, he was left alone with no enrichment or love.

Senior inspector Stephen Maila from the Sandton SPCA elaborated on the consequences of animal abuse and the rehabilitation process. “To be quite honest, I don’t know what gets into people’s minds when they want to keep monkeys as pets, especially a primate-like a vervet monkey. It is a wild animal that cannot become a domestic pet.

“An animal must have the freedom to express its natural behaviour. In this case, where it was a very small cage that the monkey was being kept in, it is cruelty beyond compare.”

Explaining in simple terms the Animal Protections Act, he states that cruelty in all forms is not accepted. “Conditions which are likely to cause harm to that animal and unnecessary harm will be brought to book.”

Now in a safe place, the monkey has a long journey of rehabilitation ahead. “There’s a variety of stages in the rehabilitation process. The monkey will have to get reassessed to check if all its senses are functioning well. To see whether he is responding to certain things, picking up normal behaviour patterns again and just checking in general if he will be able to survive in the wild,” Maila explained.

He added that the final step will be to decide if the vervet monkey can be released back into the wild. The rehabilitators will make this decision based on all the assessments that have been done.

The Sandton SPCA intends on laying charges against the owner as he is in contravention with the Animals Protection Act.

If you would like to donate to the good work of the inspectors, do so at www.sandtonspca.org.za/donate-now/ and use the reference ‘INSPECTORATE’.

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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/231535/sandton-spca-visits-tsutsumani-to-offer-free-animals-vaccination-and-sterilisation-of-animals/