Thousands of baboons and vervet monkeys face death

[hop 0]

Thousands of baboons face death
01/11/2005 23:10 - (SA)


Fred Katerere and Justin Arenstein

Polokwane - Thousands of baboons and vervet monkeys that have been "rescued" by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (NSPCA) have been handed a death sentence.

The non-profit organisation has decided to euthanase the primates in a bid to make space at overcrowded animal sanctuaries.

NSPCA wildlife manager Rick Alan confirmed the contentious decision on Tuesday, but said the network of almost 100 often-voluntary sanctuaries had no choice.

"We are quite simply overcrowded and under resourced. The NSPCA was never intended to care for wild animals.

"We're not a zoo, but rather an organisation with a mandate to care for distressed dogs and cats and other domesticated animals," said Alan on Tuesday.

"The problem is that we never turn injured or distressed animals away, even wild ones, and we are now facing a serious problem."

Huge numbers in long-term captivity

The NSPCA will provide primates placed in its care with a maximum five-day grace period, before euthanasing them.

NSPCA wildlife officer Brenda Santon said: "It's tragic and not a decision we enjoyed making.

"There are huge numbers of primates in long-term captivity... with very poor quality of life and severe disruptions in social patterns."

Although neither Alan nor Santon could say how many primates were being cared for by the NSPCA, some of the society's sanctuaries hold up to 300 monkeys each.

"We're talking huge numbers," said Santon.

The worst-affected region was Limpopo, where rapid urbanisation and deforestation had disrupted the natural habitats of baboons and monkeys.

Neighbouring provinces, such as Gauteng and Mpumalanga, also receive high numbers of injured or "stray" primates.

"We're able to reintroduce primates to the wild without too much trouble in KwaZulu-Natal, because there are still intact habitats and free-ranging troops," said Santon.

"But this is almost impossible in Limpopo or the other provinces."

The NSPCA emphasised it was working with government conservation authorities and other environmental groups to try find longer-term "humane" solutions.

The decision has, however, outraged animal rights activists.

Sanwild Wildlife Trust and Wildlife Action Group (WAG) both slammed the decision as "appalling" on Tuesday and called for a public boycott of the NSPCA and its affiliates.

Bureaucratic bottlenecks

Sanwild trustee Louise Joubert said: "The NSPCA decision will have an enormous impact on South Africa's primate populations... which are already under persecution."

Sanwild and WAG called on the NSPCA to instead use its considerable influence to tackle bureaucratic bottlenecks in the issuing of permits for rehabilitation of primates and other wild animals, as well as lobbying for improved financial and technical support for wildlife centres.

Sanwild and WAG have set up a 24-hour hotline on mobile 083 310 3882 or email rescue@sanwild.org to advise people who find injured or lost primates.

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1827300,00.html

[Animal 0]

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (NSPCA)

Ils ne sont pas là uniquement pour s'occuper des chiens et des chats, le mot "Animal" inclut tous les animaux... et pourquoi ont-ils attendu d'avoir plusieurs centaines de singes avant de se rendre compte qu'ils ne pourraient pas les garder... Je ne comprends pas!