MBOMBELA – To decide the fate of a wild animal which has been held captive its entire life is never easy, especially if it has a physical defect and is no longer a youngster.
The future of Georgina – a 19-year-old albino vervet monkey – is uncertain since the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency recently became aware of her existence.
The man who has been caring for her for the past 15 years, is convinced that she will die if she is to be removed and relocated, while the MTPA is of the opinion that she is being kept in inhumane conditions and needs to interact with other primates.
Georgina was being kept at Tomjachu Bush Lodges and the MTPA went to the property on Wednesday to remove her. Lowvelder went to Tomjachu and found that Georgina was being kept alone in a 2×2 metre enclosure with a cement floor and branches she could climb on. Although she had ample space to move around in, her movements were restricted as is the case with animals being kept in a cage.
She was clearly very clever as she wouldn’t go into a smaller cage the MTPA had placed inside her enclosure, trying to lure her inside with food. She would approach it from the sides, taking the food through the wired fence. She wasn’t domesticated at all and was obviously well cared for.
Mr Dries Pienaar, acting manager of permits and Cites at Wildlife Protection Services at the MTPA, became aware of her existence about two weeks ago when he drove to the property coincidentally.
“I was shocked to find that she was being kept alone in a cage. I enquired if they had a permit for the monkey and personnel at Tomjachu said they would check. I knew they couldn’t have been in possession of a valid permit as I issue them, otherwise I would have had knowledge of Georgina’s existence. However, the permit is not the real issue,” he said.
Pienaar explained that it was inhumane to keep Georgina alone in a cage and added she needed to be able to interact with other vervets. “She has been kept in solitary confinement for 17 years by people who claim they are animal lovers. We want to place her in one of our rehabilitation centres where she can act as a mother figure for other monkeys,” he explained.
Mr Brian Fillery (owner of Tomjachu) on the other hand, feels that relocating Georgina will result in her death. “She was given to us when she was approximately three years old by Palm and Plant Petting Farm down the road, from which she was rescued when she was rejected by the troop.They closed down the farm 17 years ago and we took her in.
“As most people will appreciate, an albino animal has no chance of survival in the wild because if it is not killed by the troop for being different, it is easily caught by predators as it lacks any form of camouflage.
“Georgina is now older than 19 – an age that cannot be reached in the wild – and has lived peacefully and happily in the good care of the staff at Tomjachu Bush Lodge until this morning (Wednesday) when the MTPA arrived to remove her,” he said.
“Removal of this monkey into another enclosure or worse still, releasing her into the wild, is a death sentence for her and must be stopped. After nearly all of her life spent in a familiar environment with familiar people, a move prompted by a bureauocratic demand is cruel and begs explanation. If the parks board is so determined to persecute this animal, it would be better for her to be humanely destroyed than suffer the stress that the board wishes to inflict upon her,” he added.
“She interacts with humans nearly every hour of the day and has done so for all these years. She has not ‘suffered’ for 19 years and indeed wouldn’t have survived at all if released, as is evident.”
Fillery continued by saying that expert veterinary advice from Dr Donna McDougall, a senior veterinary surgeon and former primate vet from the UK, who cared for thousands of macaques and marmosets in captivity, also warned Pienaar. “She advised him that this was not the best course of action for the welfare of this monkey, but Pienaar would not listen nor take professional advice on this matter. This seems to be an issue not of animal welfare, but of his ego.”
The MTPA has veterinary surgeons in its service and Pienaar said they would keep a close eye on Georgina’s welfare. “A vet does not necessarily have knowledge of ecology. Georgina will be much happier if she is able to socialise with other primates,” he said.
