A DURBAN North veterinarian has expressed her outrage over the cruel death of a vervet monkey that was shot in the head by a pellet gun and then left in a black bag overnight to die. Kerry Easson of Riverside Vet said the wounded primate was placed in a refuse bag and left in the rain on a verge in Trema Road in Prestondale overnight.
“It is one of the cruelest cases I have dealt with. One of the volunteers for Monkey Helpline, Jane Avis, rushed out to collect the monkey and bring her in. The vervet had been shot in the top of the head, and someone had placed it (still alive) in a black bag and dumped it on the verge. I assume the person was standing on a balcony above the monkey as the entry point is right at the top of the head.
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“The monkey spent a night in the rain and cold, unable to get out the bag as she was brain damaged. The bag was torn in several places from her thrashing around when Jane found her. After a clinical examination and x-rays the monkey was euthanased. She was clearly still feeding a baby which is now out there in a hostile environment fending for itself. The callous person who did this double injustice to the monkey deserves severe punishment,” she said.
Easson said she was calling on anyone on Trema Road who had CCTV footage of the incident which occurred on Saturday afternoon.
“The residents can send us the footage and remain anonymous. Monkey Helpline will prosecute the person under the animal cruelty act and it is illegal to discharge a pellet gun in an urban area,” said Easson.
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