Umsizi Umkomaas Vervet Rescue Centre is getting ready to release a rare white monkey back into her troop in Illovo Beach at the end of the week. “She was shot and the bullet broke her arm,” said Tracy Rowles of Umsizi. “She is a unique monkey and even my vet Dr Kerry Easson was amazed and said in all her years of treating animals, she has never seen a white monkey.”
The monkey is not an albino, as she does not have blue eyes. Her rare condition is called leucistic. “She must have been born into her troop for them to accept her and when I went to trap her three weeks ago, the other monkeys went berserk, especially the females, so she must be quite a high-ranking female in the troop. Having a white monkey in our area is a rare phenomenon and a privilege – she shouldn’t be harmed.”
As its baby vervet season, Umsizi needs to start stock piling baby formula (lactogen number one). If you are able to help with donations, there are two drop-off points at Bushy Tails in Park Rynie and Riverside Veterinary Clinic. Alternatively, donate to Umsizi Umkomaas Vervet Rescue Centre, FNB, cheque account, account number: 62498732158, branch code: 250655, swift code: FIRNZAJJ, Paypal: umsizimonkeylady@gmail.com.
READ ALSO: Monkey reunion video goes viral
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