Pregnant monkey shot in the face and belly

Tracy Rowles, who runs Umsizi Umkomaas Vervet Rescue Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, was called out to Woodgrange, Hibberdene, to help an adult female monkey in trouble, South Coast Herald reports.

Rowles said: “The X-rays revealed that a pellet had penetrated the animal’s nasal cavity and before nicking the bottom of her eye. She was also shot in the abdomen, which resulted in her losing the baby she was carrying. The X-ray also showed that her leg had been previously been broken by a pellet, but this had healed on its own.”

“In addition to being shot, she has an eye infection and cannot see. I will do everything in my power to help her. I will be monitoring her eyes and, if they do not improve,  I will take her to a specialist in Westville.

“If both her eyes are permanently damaged, I’m going to have to do the unthinkable and euthanase her, as it’s cruel to have a wild animal which is blind and spend their life in fear. My heart breaks for this troop which has been so persecuted in an area with absolutely no tolerance.”

Rowles has named the monkey ‘Madam Cheeks’, as she is cheeky and vicious, obviously from being blind and in pain.

“People make me so angry with their cruelty, and it saddens me to see any animal in distress,” she said.

READ MORE: Several monkeys shot in La Lucia and uMhlanga

The twist in this story is that Madam Cheeks is from the same troop that was poisoned in April this year.

Thirteen monkeys died after being poisoned at the end of Sedgewick Crescent in Woodgrange.

Tracy said they were still waiting for the police to put the evidence from the poisoning, which is at a veterinary practice in Park Rynie, into evidence bags, so it can be taken to the laboratory in Onderstepoort.

The X-ray of Madam Cheeks, who had been shot in the face.

Rowles often rushes to the aid of these creatures when they are in desperate need of help. She picks them up, takes them to the vet and cares for them afterwards. She does this without funding, and relies on donations from friends and people who care.

Established more than 10 years ago in Umkomaas, Umsizi is a nonprofit organisation run by Rowles, for the love of monkeys. The name ‘Umsizi’ is taken from an isiZulu word, meaning ‘helper’, or ‘helping hand’.

However, the running costs of this organisation are massive. The centre operates 24/7 ,and cares for more than 100 vervet monkeys, which need a highly nutritional diet of fruit and vegetables, as well as enclosures and enrichment, not to mention the vet bills, petrol money and additional expenses that come with raising the orphans as they go through baby formula extremely fast.

READ MORE

Several monkeys shot in La Lucia and uMhlanga

– Caxton News Service

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