Pregnant Vervet monkeys are at risk
Statistics show that Monkey Helpline rescuers and assistant rescuers attended to 151 monkeys, of which 70 were motor vehicle related, 18 were attacked by dogs, and 16 died as a direct result of being shot with lead pellets from air guns.
HEAVILY pregnant or carrying a newborn baby can be a huge impediment to mobility for female Vervet monkeys, and the period between September and December each year is a particularly difficult one for them.
This is the time during which the majority of pregnant Vervets give birth.
Monkey Helpline spokesperson, Carol Booth, said every year her organisation receives numerous rescue call-outs concerning female Vervets who, being heavily pregnant or carrying their newborn baby, are struck by cars or attacked by dogs.
“Normally agile and alert, these monkeys are able to avoid most dogs or motor cars, but because they are in an advanced stage of pregnancy or encumbered by their new baby, they find it more difficult to avoid dogs by getting into trees, onto walls or out of the garden,” said Booth.
“Just a few seconds slower than usual, they become the victims of dog attack, usually with fatal consequences for themselves and their unborn or newly born baby. The same happens to these female monkeys trying to cross roads,” she added.
Booth appealed to dog owners to be particularly alert to the presence of monkeys visiting their garden at this time of the year, and to confine their dogs during the short period of time the monkeys are around.
“Monkeys follow predetermined foraging routes and most people are aware of the possibility of monkeys passing through their property. Controlling your dogs in the presence of monkeys takes little effort that ultimately translates into a huge benefit to the monkeys. Likewise, being alert to monkeys in the road or trying to cross the road, and slowing down, gives the pregnant monkeys or those with newborn babies a bit more time to cross the road safely or to make the decision to wait until the car has passed,” said Booth.
Juveniles
According to Booth this is also the time of year when the juvenile Vervets born during the previous baby season, a year ago, are at greater risk of death or injury by dogs and motor cars.
“Following a mother whose attention is on her newborn baby or who, still heavily pregnant, is not so confident in crossing roads or gardens, the juvenile has to make its own decisions about when to run and when to wait. Even a moment’s haste or hesitation can be fatal and many juvenile Vervets are killed or seriously injured by motor cars or dogs during this period.”
Booth added: “Over a two-day period last week we rescued three heavily pregnant Vervet monkeys. Two of these monkeys were severely injured after being attacked by dogs, while the third suffered the effects of having been run over by a motor vehicle while crossing a road. All of these monkeys had to undergo emergency surgery at our vet and all the unborn babies were dead. Both females who had been the victims of dog attack died within one day of being rescued, and only hours after surgery to try and save their lives. The female who was injured by the motor vehicle has survived the ordeal but is still at risk,” she added.
And while Booth accepts that pregnant Vervets being attacked by dogs or hit by motor cars is, in most cases not the consequence of deliberate malice towards the monkeys, she accuses air gun-wielding monkey-haters of deliberately targeting slower moving pregnant or newborn baby-carrying Vervet monkeys.
Anti-monkey brigade
“Contrary to statements made by the anti-monkey brigade that there is an increase in the number of urban-dwelling Vervet monkeys in KwaZulu-Natal, there is in fact an alarming decrease in the population of urban Vervet Monkeys,” said Booth.
“The claim that there is a population explosion of monkeys is totally false. Urban monkeys are, among other things, regular victims of car strikes, dog attack, high voltage electrocution, air gun and other shootings, razor wire injuries, deliberate poisoning, or being trapped or snared for ‘bush-meat’ or ‘muti’. At Monkey Helpline, our two full-time rescuers, and assistant rescuers, respond to more than 1000 rescue call-outs every year. Of these, almost 75 percent of the monkeys are dead on arrival, die en-route to the vet, are euthanased by the vet or die within the first few days after veterinary treatment. Consider also that only in her fourth year can a female Vervet give birth for the first time, this after a seven month pregnancy, and twins are rare. Research indicates that only one out of every four babies will reach adulthood. So, far from needing their numbers reduced, they urgently need every bit of help they can get to survive in this increasingly monkey unfriendly world,” added Booth.
Statistics
In the six week period from around mid-August 2017 to date, the Monkey Helpline rescuers and assistant rescuers attended to 151 monkeys, of which 70 were motor vehicle related, 18 were attacked by dogs, and 16 died as a direct result of being shot with lead pellets from air guns. Staggeringly, over 80 percent of all these monkeys were living with one or more lead or steel air gun pellets lodged in various parts of their bodies at the time of their rescue.
Contact Steve Smith at Monkey Helpline on 082 659 4711, e-mail: steve@monkeyhelpline.co.za or visit the website, www.monkeyhelpline.co.za
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