Warning, upsetting content: Wholesale slaughter of monkey troop

A troop of about eight monkeys was found dead, thought to have been poisoned, at the end of Sedgewick Crescent in Woodgrange, Hibberdene south of Durban, earlier yesterday, the South Coast Herald reports.

The Lower South Coast SPCA has offered a reward for any information that may lead to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for this mass killing, as not only is it inhumane, but it is also illegal to place poison with the intent to kill an animal.

One of the dead monkeys.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Michael Muller, manager of the LSC SPCA, at 060 502 0421.

Dayle Robinson, who runs a cat sanctuary called The Catwalk Toti, received the distressing call about the dead monkeys yesterday.

She went to investigate, accompanied by staff from the LSC SPCA,  and they found the monkeys lying dead in the road on the verge and in the garden a short distance from the food, which is thought to have contained the poison.

Dead monkey with poisoned fruits by the side.

“I was shocked, absolutely shocked. I never understand how people can do these kind of things,” she said.

READ MORE:  Vital KNP vaccination project for wild dogs well on its way

Death by poison is  excruciatingly painful.

“In addition to a cruel death, the perpetrator has wiped out the matriarchs of the troop, which means the younger monkeys will go rogue with no matriarchs to keep them in line,” said a distraught Dayle.

Tracy Rowles said: “Today was a tragic day for a small troop in Woodgrange, where someone deliberately put out fruit which was poisoned for the monkeys. Brought eight bodies home and one male who is in bad shape.”

She added that the centre’s vets had done an amazing job on the sole survivor and that it looked as if he may recover.

Terence Olivier of Rainbow Warriors South Africa said the person responsible doesn’t know what he has done.

“The area is opposite dense bush, which is home to not only an array of wildlife and birdlife which feed on the same fruit, it is also home to an array of predatory birds such as owls, falcons and hawks, which will feed off the carcasses, as well as being a shelter for roaming cats and dogs,” said Olivier.

Olivier urges people in the area to  keep their pets inside their property for the next few days as it is not known if more poison remains in the area.

– Caxton News Service

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.