An exotic monkey that was recently captured after being on the loose in Stellenbosch, is yet to be rehomed. The Capuchin monkey was captured in Onder Papegaaiberg on 26 February, according to Karin Lubbe, a resident of that neighbourhood and an eyewitness.
Chief inspector of the Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Jaco Pieterse, confirmed that the monkey was in their care after its capture and that it had only sustained minor injuries while on the loose in Stellenbosch.
Whilst on the run, a brown Capuchin monkey frequented the trees of the Onder Papegaaiberg neighbourhood, according to eyewitness Natacha Erasmus. “The monkey was missing a toe and a finger. The hair on his back was missing and he had bite marks on his tail,” said Erasmus. PHOTO: Supplied/Natacha Erasmus
Securing the monkey
The monkey is believed to have first been spotted on 23 February, after which it was reported to Monkey Town, a primate centre in Somerset West. According to Yvette Botha, manager at Monkey Town, they sent out personnel to assist. The personnel confirmed that it was an exotic Capuchin which did not belong to the primate centre, said Botha. The monkey had, however, escaped into a vineyard before it could be captured, according to Botha.
Lubbe again noticed the monkey on 26 February in a tree in the neighbourhood. Concerned residents then arrived on the scene with a representative from CapeNature, a veterinarian and an ADT response team, explained Natacha Erasmus, another eyewitness who also happens to own monkeys.
The monkey was then darted and captured, according to Lubbe.
“After we darted the monkey, my son climbed the tree because the monkey had gotten stuck […] He shook the [tree] so that we could catch him,” said eyewitness Natacha Erasmus on the process of capturing a Capuchin monkey that had been on the loose in Stellenbosch. VIDEO: Supplied/Natacha Erasmus
“We are in the process of applying for a transport permit to send the monkey to a sanctuary,” said Pieterse on 15 March. He claimed that the matter was being handled by CapeNature, an organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife in the Western Cape.
Erasmus and Lubbe remained concerned over the Capuchin’s fate, fearing it would be euthanized if not homed.
A conservation conundrum
“When it comes to exotic animals I think [Cape Nature’s exotic animal policy] regulations are quite good because they are very strict in terms of what species can be [owned],” said Smargda Louw, chairperson of Ban Animal Trading.
However, Louw is concerned that these regulations may not be enough to preserve the lives of exotic and indigenous animals.
At the time of publication, CapeNature had not yet provided comment to MatieMedia regarding their policy on exotic animals.
Botha stated that there are many brown Capuchins in the Western Cape, despite their exotic status. “I’m not too sure where [illegal owners] buy them from […] they keep them as pets and sometimes the animals escape,” claimed Botha.
Manager at Monkey Town, Yvette Botha, received a call about an escaped Capuchin monkey on 23 February. She sent a tour guide with some of Monkey Town’s animal keepers to have a look and they took photos and confirmed that it was a brown Capuchin. PHOTO: William Brederode
According to CapeNature’s website, owning an exotic animal in the Western Cape requires a special permit.
Botha speculates that, for this reason, owners of undocumented monkeys may be reluctant to retrieve their escaped pets, handing over the responsibility of caring for the monkey to CapeNature authorities.
There is a very close-knit monkey community in the Western Cape, according to Louw. “It’s like a child. Nobody understands [that] and it hurts,” stated Erasmus about the two monkeys she owns and the fear that she has for the future of the recently captured Capuchin.
By Aiden Louw & William Brederode