Rescue Monkeys from Lives of Abuse

RESCUE & CONFISCATIONS IN ZAMBIA

With the help of GlobalGiving supporters and aided by Born Free, Zambia Primate Project (ZPP) has been hard at work rescuing monkeys from the illegal wild pet trade. Earlier this year, the team travelled to Kabwe, in Zambia’s Central Province to collect an illegally held seven-month-old vervet monkey, who they named Rapha.

After spending 30 days receiving expert care in quarantine at the Primate Transit Home, Rapha has been carefully integrated into a family troop and will be prepared for release back to the wild. Just three days after Rapha’s rescue, the team travelled to collect a vervet from someone in Kafue town, who had rescued her from some children and named her Maria. When the new owner heard of ZPP, he reached out as he knew Maria needed to be with other primates and that ZPP would give her a chance of life back in the wild.

Shortly after, a member of the public contacted ZPP with news of a one-week-old baby vervet monkey found abandoned in Lusaka. Sadly, it is likely his mother was caught in a snare. Baby Albert is currently doing very well in the loving care of one of ZPP’s surrogate human carers. He will later join the other infants at the Primate Transit Home, once he has built up his strength.

Finally, the team journeyed back to Kabwe to collect a young baboon who had been taken in by someone. The person reported he had bought the baboon from some people, when he saw it being beaten. ZPP would never advocate buying primates to rescue them as this only serves to propagate the illegal trade. Named Hendrix, the baboon is about nine months old and after health checks has gone into quarantine at the Primate Transit Home, ahead of being integrated with other rescued baboons, and in readiness for his release back to the wild.

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• Find out more about Born Free's compassionate conservation work