Simon Hunter
SPAIN’S Guardia Civil has opened an investigation after two of Gibraltar’s famous Barbary macaques were located caged in the garden of a resident of Granada.
The 56-year-old resident of the house is facing charges of animal cruelty, among other offences, given that they were being kept in appalling conditions reportedly for as long as 15 years.
The Guardia Civil was tipped off about the presence of the monkeys in the private home by a member of the public, sparking an investigation by the force’s Eprona nature protection force.
They determined that the two specimens were indeed present in the home, despite the fact that they are a protected species and that private individuals are not allowed to keep them as pets.
Read more: Monkey is freed after being held captive for 35 YEARS in Spain
Vets from the AAP PRIMADOMUS Foundation were drafted in to help with the rescue of the animals.
They found that the monkeys were being kept in two separated cages, which were rusty and had dangerous spikes.
The cages lacked the proper hygiene and there was not sufficient water for them, nor shelter in the case of adverse weather conditions for one of the animals.
They also presented symptoms of improper diet and neglect, such as alopecia, dental caries, diabetes and metabolic diseases.
The Guardia Civil believes that the monkeys had not seen a vet for the length of their 15-year captivity, due to the illegality of the situation.
The animals will now be cared for and rehabilitated by the foundation that assisted with the rescue.
In a statement, the Guardia Civil did not explain how the man came to possess the Barbary macaques, some 300 of which live in the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve on the British Overseas Territory.
