Monkey Helpline in hot water with NSPCA

Manager of the NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit, Sister Ainsley Hay and inspectors from the Kloof and Highway SPCA visited the primate rescue centre two weeks ago to conduct an inspection, after they allegedly received a public complaint of animal hoarding. They claim more than 200 vervet monkeys and a few parrots were found without food and water in filthy, cramped cages on the residential property.But Monkey Helpline’s Steve Smit retorted: “This is sensationalised and subjective. No animal in our care goes a single day without fresh food and water. The inspector neglects to mention that I pointed out the pile of newly-washed food and water containers that would be placed back into the cages shortly.”

Monkey Helpline was issued a warning in terms of the Animals Protection Act (No 71 of 162) and all grave welfare issues were ordered to be corrected immediately, with improvements to the facilities to continue over the next three months.

In a press statement, Hay said Smit had “admitted that animal cruelty is occurring and that it is unacceptable to confine these animals unnecessarily.” Smit refutes this claim, saying the end justifies the means. “I agree that unnecessary confinement for gratuitous reasons is cruel, but the confinement of monkeys in our clinic is not unnecessary and is also the only option available to Monkey Helpline, as it moves towards establishing a benchmark sanctuary and rehabilitation facility on the land recently donated to it by a highly respected local conservation organisation.”

The NSPCA said they were advised that Monkey Helpline was in the process of securing a new property. “For the sake of these confined wild animals, we hope that his plans come to fruition. We have been given his assurance, and it has been agreed that if new and appropriate facilities have not been built and the monkeys moved out within three months, he will personally euthanase these monkeys and end their suffering,” said Hay.

“It is due to this exact situation and the fact that more and more facilities throughout SA hoard primates, due to lack of appropriate release sites and facilities, that the SPCA has a rule in place to ensure that indigenous wild primates are not sent to inappropriate facilities where they will suffer unnecessarily and indefinitely in captivity. The NSPCA is often criticised for this ruling, which often results in the humane euthanasia of displaced primates because there are simply insufficient, credible rehabilitation centres around the country to rehabilitate these animals for release back into the wild. The NSPCA trusts that highlighting this situation will assist the public in understanding our reasoning and rationale behind this necessary rule.”

Smit took exception to this statement by the NSPCA, claiming the inspection was used as grounds for justifying its euthanasia policy and in retaliation of Monkey Helpline’s recent criticism of the policy. “They (the NSPCA) deny the inspection has anything to do with our public criticism of their primate euthanasia ruling and was motivated by a public complaint, however the NSPCA’s statement made no mention of the alleged complaint, but does conclude with a paragraph using its findings at Monkey Helpline as justification for this euthanasia ruling.”

– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za