Pretoria – Just over a year ago, the Pretoria News reported that a happier life awaited several exotic monkeys confiscated from a nursery in Muldersdrift after court intervention.
But last week these monkeys were taken back by the owner against whom the initial court order had been sought.
Animal rights group International Primate Rescue (IPR) had turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, last May, following allegations that the animals were not being properly cared for at Little Falls Garden Centre.
These allegations were vehemently denied by owner of the garden centre, Adele Toxopeus. She said she and her staff took very good care of the monkeys.
IPR, however, did not agree and a tug-of-war ensued over the future of the animals.
IPR initially obtained a warrant to remove 49 monkeys from Little Falls. This caused the owner to launch urgent court proceedings to get the monkeys back.
Judge Johan Louw, at the time, urged the parties to try to find a solution.
Toxopeus said she was selling the animals to a sanctuary in Limpopo. An agreement was reached that they would remain in the care of IPR until they were relocated to Mapathamacha wildlife sanctuary in Vaalwater Limpopo.
Nothing happened for more than a year and the owner of IPR, Sue Mousley, said the monkeys had been taken care of and nursed back to health and happiness.
But all hell broke loose last week when Toxopeus decided to collect the 49 monkeys from IPR’s premises. “I was shocked and had to helplessly watch how the monkeys we had nursed to good health were simply being taken away.”
According to Mousley the monkeys were clearly in distress as they were forced into cages and taken away.
She said when they intervened last year, it was the first time in 20 years that her organisation had had to confiscate animals due to alleged starvation and neglect.
Ashley Gittins, Toxopeus’s lawyer, said they were totally within their legal right to take the animals back. He said they had obtained a writ of execution following last year’s settlement and they executed it to the letter. He accused the staff at IPR of being obstructive when they came to fetch the monkeys.
Gittins said it took so long to execute the agreement as the purchase agreement between the original owner and the owners of the sanctuary in Vaalwater had only recently gone through.
Gittins said the sanctuary in Vaalwater is equipped to look after the primates.
Mousley, on the other hand, said her only concern was the well-being of the primates and what was in their best interests. Being relocated is not in their interest, especially given their sad past, she said.