While Richards Bay’s vervet monkey population continues to provoke anger from residents due to house invasions, harassment of children and attacks on pets, there are those who have pity for these creatures.
Often the targets of pellet guns, fireworks and ‘ketties’, and living in an increasingly diminishing habitat, these grey-haired tree-dwellers are also regularly end up as road kill.
Monday saw yet another incident of a car driving into monkeys attempting to cross the highway and this time a kindly witness rushed the mother and offspring to the vet.
The mother did not survive the operation, while the young vervet – which clung unto the hand of the theatre assistant throughout – has a chance of defying death after being patched up.
‘And even then we cannot say it will be ok,’ said vet Jurgen Otto.
‘We cannot simply release it into the wild as a strange troop will not accept it.
‘I know they can be a bit of a pain at times but cruelty is never justified and leaving the in pain is not an option either.
‘They also have feelings and life is not always easy for them either.’
The monkey may have to be sent to a rehabilitation centre in Durban.
Meanwhile, there is no financial compensation from the State for veterinarians who treat such wild animal cases.
I have monkeys running amok in my home in Arboretum & cannot get anyone will to help with the problem. There seems to be no organisation who is “in charge” of the monkey problem or willing to take responsibility, so I can understand the frustration but this is unacceptable. Such incredible cruelty seems to be the norm these days.It’s all too easy to take out normal day-to-day frustrations on defenseless animals & children.
I think if monkeys had proper sanctuaries where they were protected they would not be able to invade people’s homes and anger residents, therefore avoiding people driving into them.
We invaded their habitat when we chopped of the trees to build towns and cities, and now people want to be cruel and kill them. Rather think of a solution.
that’s disgusting, did the witnesses not get details of the vehicle? That person needs to be brought to book. we have a troop of about 30 that visit us on our farm outside Richards bay, we are living on their land they were here way before us even before Malema
So thaNkfull for such compassionate vets! Its like he said, theyve got feelings too! Just like me and you they have blood running through their veins and a heart thats beating! Theres NO reason to show any kind of cruelty towards them! Thanks for the passerby who rushed them to the vet! *Animal Lover*
Despicable what some people do , these primates are a problem in built up areas due to people feeding them, stop that and we stop the problem, they should be fined. A big thank you for Dr Otto who is and always has been an incredible vet and a man with compassion .
The biggest problem that exists regarding the human – monkey issue is one of ignorance. Too many ‘experts’ professing to know so much about monkeys but in reality their knowledge is very limited. Anyone wishing to ensure a harmonious co-existence with monkeys has only to contact Monkey Helpline via email. carol@monkeyhelpline.co.za or phone 0824115444/ 0826594711, or else visit the Monkey Helpline web site on https://www.monkeyhelpline.co.za . In spite of many unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, Monkeys pose very little threat to humans and their pets and will only resort to defensive biting if severely provoked. Also monkeys are NOT Rabies carriers, but like all mammals, humans included they can be infected with rabies and will die from it. However, there IS NOT a single record of any rabies infected monkey in South Africa. Monkeys do not attack dogs and any dog bitten by a Monkey was in the process of attacking a monkey. Regarding the perception that monkeys are breeding out of control, this is not the case. Observations by Monkey Helpline rescuers based on many years experience of Agricultural and Urban Monkey troops appears to indicate that monkey numbers are tenuously stable or on a steady decline and whilst natural predators have been drastically reduced in agricultural and urban areas, they have been replaced by human related ‘predators’ which include motor vehicles, dogs, security measures such as razor wire and electric fencing, high voltage power lines and transformers, people armed with pellet guns, catapults, paint ball guns and other lethal weapons, not to exclude being trapped or snared as bush meat or to be used for ‘muti’. Conclusion – “What monkeys need is respect, understanding and tolerance”.
Dis so hartseer die mense vergeet dis hulle wat die oortreders is dis hulle wat die wilde diere van hulle habitat beroof het ek se dieselfde moet aan die gedoen word wat aan die diere gedoen is sies man ek dink jy is pateties om n weerlose dier dood te ry sies