We have a monkey problem in Trinidad. Unlike the problems faced in New Delhi, Florida, South Africa and St Marteen, however, our problems stem from those considered most evolved of the primates—humans! The usual suspects. Monkeys, or primates, are considered one of our closest cousins on the genetic spectrum; it is because of this that they fascinate us so much. Their faces, hands and feet, the similarities to us make them so appreciable.
While I understand the appeal of these animals as pets, common sense should bring the realisation that it is because these animals are so close to our level of sentience that they make inappropriate, even dangerous pets. For so many reasons it can be considered dangerous, unhealthy and just plain cruel to have a monkey as a pet. To start with, most people don’t know how to keep such an animal. The majority of time they are kept in a wire cage for almost the all of their existence.
This is unacceptable for any animal that is domesticated, much less a monkey that requires social interactions similar to what they would experience in the wild. Young monkeys cling to their mothers for up to a year in most species, are ripped away from this comfort and care—as is often the case since babies are easier to sell—and put in a hard, cold box of metal with no affection or love. Most of the young stolen and sold do not survive this traumatic experience.
But the desire and belief is that if you get them young and “grow them up” they will become nice pets. This can be true but again it is not possible without the right approach or knowledge of what this animal needs or requires. For example, I have heard of people feeding these animals only bread and banana; they have belts and chains embedded into their skin and body; are locked in cages they haven’t been removed from for years as they had become too aggressive for interaction.
Crazy with lack of space, contact, untreated wounds and incorrect diets, they become vicious and very capable of doing serious damage up to and including transmitting a wide range of diseases when sinking their extremely sharp teeth into us. This is one of the biggest problems as these animals can give us diseases due to our similarities, such as herpes, yellow fever and malaria to name a few.
If you can see clearly the intelligence of these animals then you can clearly see how removing them from the company of their species will affect them negatively. They are never able to experience the joys of socialising with their own kind, grooming, playing, exploring and reproducing. That’s an important one—reproducing. The pet trade is one of the most detrimental sources of endangerment to primates in this country to date.
The amount of mothers shot so the babies can be harvested and sold is huge. Not only in T&T, but in South America as well. There are possibly thousands of primates being held as pets, suffering unknowable cruelty at the hands of ignorant and selfish individuals who firmly believe that they are fit to manage such a delicate life and deserve this right. I beg the citizens of this country to please try to remember that everything in this world does not exist solely for your entertainment and exploitation.
Have a little respect, show a little care. If they are born free, please, let them live (and die) free. Leave the animals alone.
Cathy Ford,
Lawrence Park,
Arima