SHOULD THEY BE PETS?

Because they can be so cuddly and adorable, it’s easy to forget that monkeys are wild animals. So what do experts think about them being kept as pets?

“It’s become a trend over the past two decades in SA to keep capuchins as pets,” says Martie Rossouw, manager of the National Council of SPCA’s wildlife protection unit. She says her organisation is opposed to keeping any kind of wild animals in captivity, especially as pets.

“These primates are indigenous to South America’s tropical climate and are social animals who are usually part of a group of 20 to 30 animals. Keeping them in a domestic environment usually doesn’t satisfy their innate social needs.”

As babies they’re cute and easy to care for. “It gets harder when they become adults and need more space. They can be aggressive. After the initial cuteness has passed, many owners often aren’t up to the task, so monkeys end up in cages.”

Rossouw says monkeys are sensitive and experience emotions such as fear and loneliness. “Once you realise captivity can scar them psychologically, you’ll understand it’s selfish to keep them as pets.”

One of the biggest problems is that owners feed their monkeys human food, which can lead to illnesses such as diabetes, says Dr Bruce Peck, a Pretoria-based veterinarian specialising in primates. But many people take good care of their pets, he adds. They see their monkeys as children who need consistent love and care.

He advises anyone thinking of getting a monkey to do their homework first. “Keeping a monkey will change your life. It’s like a lifetime of having a three-year-old child.”