Close to 100 monkeys from Umsizi Umkomaas Vervet Rescue Centre were seized and later many were euthanised by Ezemvelo Kzn Wildlife last week.
The premises was raided and centre owner Tracy Rowles charged with breaking two sections of the Nature Conservation Ordinance 15 of 1974 and fined R1500.
The reaction from animal activists and community in general has been one of disbelief, outrage and disgust, initially at the way they feel Ms Rowles has been treated, and then with regards to the killing of the confiscated monkeys.
These sentiments were expressed on a number of social media platforms as the story was broken online by various media groups.
Support has poured in for Ms Rowles, popularly known as the town’s ‘Monkey Lady’.
Many of the comments on Facebook have expressed how she is greatly loved and admired for the work she does through this non-profit organisation which rescues, rehabilitates and releases vervet monkeys.
It is common knowledge in the town that she has rescued hundreds of monkeys over the years – these are monkeys that have either been orphaned, shot, hit by cars or attacked by other animals.
And, after rehabilitating them and ensuring they can once again fend for themselves out in the open, they are released.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said the centre had been operating without a legal permit, and that Ms Rowles had, on February 4, been given 21 days’ notice to remove the monkeys.
Ezemvelo said she failed to do this and so was charged and fined.
Musa Mntambo, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s communications manager, said there had been concerns about the state of some of the monkey enclosures encountered on the day of the raid, which were believed to be unsanitary and unsafe.
Ezemvelo worked together with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) to seize the animals.
Photo: Facebook.
CROW has since explained its involvement in the raid and stated that it was asked by Ezemvelo to assist in the capture of monkeys as Ezemvelo did not have the expertise to do so, and was unaware that the monkeys were going to be euthanised after the capture.
CROW confirmed that 52 of the confiscated monkeys were euthanised by Ezemvelo and claim that prior to this, it was told that the monkeys would be relocated to Hluhluwe.
Ms Rowles has apparently been trying to get a permit to do this for some time but that her application was never approved.
The matter has resulted in a movement consisting of local and international supporters fighting for Ms Rowles to finally obtain her permit and to get justice for all the monkeys whose lives were taken.
Legal action was taken and the matter of Umsizi Vervet Rescue versus Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife was held at the Pietermaritzburg High Court last week Wednesday (March 31), and on April 1, Umsizi was granted an interdict against Ezemvelo from removing the remaining monkeys and babies from its care.
She added that the monkeys seized and euthanised were healthy, which has left her and many others questioning why euthanasia was done.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
