SEVERAL monkeys have died from poisoning in Richards Bay, in the vicinity of the Zululand Yacht club (ZYC) in Meerensee.

Three have been confirmed dead, while a fourth weak one was sighted and also suspected of having been poisoned.

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Alarm of the incident began when one monkey was found dead outside the ZYC on Thursday, as reported by the yacht club. The source of the poisoning is unknown.

Upon post mortem at a local veterinary practice, the poison was discovered to be Two Step (Aldicarb), a substance banned in South Africa since 2016.

This is not the first case of vervet monkey poisonings in the area.

One of the monkeys was a mother of a newborn, which is now being taken care of by a kind Samaritan.

“It is absolutely gruesome to watch these monkeys suffer and die a slow death,” said local wildlife warrior Miriam Otto.
“It remains unclear who is responsible or where the poison is being placed.”

In a social media post, ZYC management said it has contacted a local wildlife sanctuary for assistance in addressing and investigating the situation.

“For your safety, please do not touch or consume any monkey found dead on or near the premises. The meat is highly contaminated and unsafe for consumption,” said the statement.

Two Step poison looks similar to black pepper corns, but smaller.

Two Step poisoning symptoms
· Excessive drooling, runny nose or tearing of the eyes
· Pinpoint pupils
· Vomiting, diarrhoea
· Difficulty breathing, very fast breathing or coughing up slime (excessive secretions in the airways)
· Abnormally slow heart rate
· Muscle tremors, shaking, twitching, weakness or loss of balance
· Convulsions, seizures
· Disorientation, unconsciousness

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