Reward offered for painted monkey perpetrators

A REWARD of R1 000 has been offered to the first person who can provide information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for painting a monkey red in the upper Highway area.

The one-year-old monkey was seen at the Mushroom Farm centre off Kassier Road, adjacent to the old Shongweni Market site in Assagay on Monday, 9 January. Monkey Helpline founder, Steve Smit said tenants noticed the ‘red’ monkey when it’s troop made their regular visit the Mushroom Farm to find food.

“Mel from the centre immediately called Monkey Helpline. We took a trap in the hope of catching the monkey, but as can be expected, she is very wary of anything resembling the trap in which she must have been caught to be painted. She fled into the tree tops the moment she saw us arrive with the trap,” he said. 

Steve said they have worked hard these past few days to work out her movements and they now have a plan to set the trap in place at a suitable spot before she arrives.

“We have no doubt that we will catch her, and then we can decide how to get the paint off her,” added Smit.

“Legend has it that the trek boers of old would plant crops that were raided by baboons and monkeys, and to keep the animals out of their crops, they would trap an individual, dowse it in white wash, and release it to run back to it’s troop in the hope that they would flee the area. This is a myth that has been busted.

“In our first-hand experience, having already rescued a number of ‘painted’ monkeys over the years, the exact opposite happens. Rather than flee, troop members attack and harass the painted animal, inflicting painful bite wounds and ostracise it. The painted monkey suffers both emotional and physical trauma and certainly does not frighten its troop into running away from the area,” he explained.

“It is cruel, illegal and serves no purpose. People doing this to an animal should be prosecuted and severely punished. Monkeys painted with modern paints can easily die as a result and painted monkeys also become an attractive target for novelty shooters, using air guns or firearms,” said Smit. 

An animal lover from Bluff, who asked to remain anonymous, donated R500 towards the reward and the other R500 was matched by Carol Booth from the Monkey Helpline.

Anyone who has information must contact Steve Smit on 082 659 4711.

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