EDITOR – I would like to respond to F Dawson and Mimi’s letters in the Highway Mail, dated 28 August. I was really saddened to read about the vervet monkey and the domestic worker.
I personally do not wish to make any reference to the incident, but what I would like to say, irrespective of how Carol Booth from Monkey Helpline might have emphasised her statement to the Highway Mail, both Steve and Carol work 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year, uncomplaining, to look after vervet monkeys that have been shot with air guns or paintball guns, driven over and poisoned by the human being called ‘man’.
Some are very cruel and unkind, whereas others are kind and generous. They have seen it all. Until you have walked in their shoes, you cannot begin to know how disheartening it is for them to see how the vervet monkeys are injured, a lot of the time for viscous pleasure.
I am a Monkey Helpline supporter and a volunteer, purely because I care for our wildlife/animals. What struck me most about the letter was that the writer wouldn’t be prepared to assist an injured monkey because of Monkey Helpline.
Would you really be so blunt to allow your personal feels to blind your better judgement to help an injured monkey? That is really soul-destroying. Monkeys have moved into our area because man has cultivated their habitat to build concrete jungles. Where should they venture to? They need food.
There is a solution – man and monkeys can learn to live together and share the habitat around us.
Respect is a two-way process. My response to Mimi – let’s honestly hope you don’t have the misfortune of dealing with another monkey as I am sure your gardener would be only to happy to take the monkey to the traditional healers for muti.
In Support of Monkey Helpline
Karen
Pinetown
