Newsletter
ANIMAL RIGHTS AFRICA PROJECTS UPDATE
The Monkey Helpline Project: Helping Vervets and other primates
The Monkey Helpline project undertakes hands-on Vervet monkey rescues and assists with Vervet sanctuary and rehabilitation. The Project also lobbies government, distributes educational leaflets and gives talks to schools and other interested groups. It has been a hectic year so far for the Monkey Helpline with rescue callouts daily. Looking at the statistics of Vervet monkeys dealt with by the Monkey Helpline so far this year, it is shocking how many of these monkeys were unable to be saved.
In the period 1 January 2009 to 17 May 2009 (137 days), Monkey Helpline dealt with 143 dead monkeys – just more than one dead monkey every day! These monkeys were euthanased, died en route to the vet, died during or after veterinary treatment, or in some cases were already dead on arrival.
67 deaths were the result of motor vehicle accidents.
29 deaths were the result of pellet gun injuries.
22 deaths were the result of injuries caused by dogs.
12 deaths were the result of injuries caused by other monkeys.
13 deaths were due to poisoning, razor-wire, electrocution, raptors, Tetanus or snares. One was burnt with hot oil.
X-rays show that over eighty percent of the monkeys rescued or retrieved by the Monkey Helpline have air gun pellets lodged in their bodies. There is rarely only one pellet, mostly between two and eight pellets and some with ten to fifteen pellets.
Monkey Helpline is only dealing with the tip of the ice-berg when it comes to rescuing or retrieving sick, injured, orphaned or otherwise in-need-of-help Vervets in KZN. The rate at which the Vervet population in KZN, particularly in and around towns and cities, is being decimated should set alarm bells ringing. It certainly makes a mockery of those claims that there is a population explosion of Vervets and that they are breeding out of control. Now more than ever they need our protection and care, especially when you consider that our ‘dead file’ has 29 new entries just for the first 15 days of June!
How you can help?
- More than anything else the monkeys need friends, people who respect them and care for them and who are prepared to take a hand in helping them survive in this increasingly monkey-unfriendly world.
- Become a Sponsor, Donor or Fundraiser.
- Make a donation to Animal Rights Africa to help cover the costs of rescues, veterinary treatment, sanctuary and rehabilitation.
- Contact Steve or Carol on steve@animalrightsafrica.org
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