A vet at the Parktown North Veterinary Clinic, Peter Baker is up in arms after the Sandton SPCA and the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development visited him on 5 October objecting to the conditions under which his animals live at the clinic and his lack of a permit for keeping a vervet monkey and three tortoises.
Sandton SPCA management committee chairperson, Stephanie Brown said, “Our primary concern regarding the welfare of the monkey is the way he is being confined. The environment doesn’t meet his needs. The size of his cage is concerning and there is little enrichment for him within it. Monkeys are social animals and he needs to have opportunities to socialise.”
Brown mentioned that the SPCA had received two complaints regarding the welfare of Baker’s monkey.
General manager for the Sandton SPCA Jaco Pieterse removed Baker’s guinea pigs which did not have enough space to roam. Pieterse also pointed out that Baker’s one tortoise was underweight, the tortoises were not given enough space to roam and were supplied with inadequate food.
Pieterse added that the monkey was being kept in a barren environment.
Specialised diversity officer at the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Fannie Masango said, “He has no permit to keep his monkey privately; he will not get a permit to keep three tortoises if they are of different sexes. He needs to choose whether to keep only males or only females. I am here to advise him to apply.”
Baker said he received Pantsula the monkey 18 years ago as a mate for his female monkey Gogo, who died last year.
He said he received Pantsula from a vervet foundation on the East Rand who told him that Pantsula was raised by a baboon and had never lived with other vervets. When Baker tried to put Gogo and Pantsula in the cage together, Baker said that Pantsula brutally attacked Gogo.
“He is not domesticated. He has only ever lived in an enclosure. When I applied for a permit two years ago, I was told that I didn’t need one. I do emergency work for the SPCA and have associated with them for many years. I realise that it’s best not to have an animal in an enclosure, but he would die at a sanctuary. Sometimes laws are made and followed despite the outcome, which is problematic,” said Baker.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development decided to give Baker an opportunity to sort out his paperwork and would return after a period of time has passed to determine whether he had received a permit.
The Sandton SPCA committed to sending a list of animal welfare concerns to Baker which must be addressed by the time of their next inspection.
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