Wild Futures calls for Bieber to put Mally first

Wild Futures, the leading primate welfare charity which runs The Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall, a rescue and rehabilitation centre for ex-pet monkeys, is calling for Justin Bieber to do the right thing and put his monkey, Mally’s needs first, by re-homing him with a reputable sanctuary.

This week, Wild Futures voiced its concerns over Bieber’s influence among his fans sparking a whole new wave of pet monkey keeping.  Wild Futures and the RSPCA estimated that there were approximately 5,000 pet primates in the UK in 2009, and there are indications that this number is growing.  Over the past few years, Wild Futures has experienced an increase in calls for monkey rescues and fears that the situation and subsequent suffering caused is escalating.

Wild Futures has campaigned heavily for a ban on the primate pet trade for many years.  The charity observes every day the issues caused by the primate pet trade, having rescued many monkeys since 1964.  Nearly all the rescued monkeys at Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary display physical problems such as metabolic bone disease, blood sugar or dental problems and/ or abnormal behaviour such as self harming and rocking, following their time kept as pets.

One Sanctuary resident is Mr Monkey, whose father was a white-faced capuchin monkey, the same species as Bieber’s monkey, Mally.  Mr Monkey was bought by his previous owners at just three days old.  A few years later he was castrated and his teeth filed – a common attempt by owners to make their monkey more “manageable” or safe with humans.  He lived in a cage which was long and narrow with a TV switched on for 24 hours a day as company.  Occasionally he was let out, but kept on a lead at all times.  Mr Monkey became increasingly aggressive with people and finally started self-harming before The Monkey Sanctuary then gave him a home.

Mr Monkey now leads an active social life with fellow capuchin monkeys Chanel and Peppy at The Monkey Sanctuary, however if he feels nervous or disturbed in anyway then he will self-grasp or over-groom, pulling out sections of hair on his toes, behaviours caused by his time as a pet.

Director of Wild Futures, Rachel Hevesi stated: “We really hope that Justin does the right thing here by Mally.  We don’t know an owner who has deliberately set out to harm their monkey. The primate pet trade depends on a lack of understanding by the purchaser and the greed of the breeder-dealers; it is a growing problem causing primates to suffer every day worldwide.  By putting Mally’s welfare first and handing Mally over to a reputable sanctuary, Justin Bieber can turn a negative situation into a positive and send out a very powerful message for primate welfare worldwide.  We really hope that the situation can be resolved as quickly as possible for poor Mally’s sake.  It is heartbreaking to think about how distressed Mally must be right now.”

Wild Futures is calling for Mally to be re-homed at a reputable sanctuary where the monkey can live a fulfilled life with others of his own kind, be given the freedom to express natural behaviours and receive specialist care.  Wild Futures feels strongly that the welfare of the monkey is put first and if deemed appropriate and possible, Wild Futures would be delighted to offer Mally a home at The Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall.