The deaths have been attributed to confinement fatigue and
stress during the 38-hour journey, which began in Harare on January 31 and
ended at the Jeunes Animaux Confisques au Katanga (JACK) centre in Katanga on
February 2.
The 20 survivors are being rehabilitated at the centre
ahead of a planned re-introduction to the wild.
The sanctuary rehabilitates distressed animals, especially
those recovered from the Congo’s tangle of internationally-linked wildlife
smuggling syndicates. “We are happy that
the monkeys were saved from the smuggling syndicate and life in captivity.
“However, five died during the repatriation journey. The
cause of death is under investigation, but we strongly suspect it was fatigue
and stress, which commonly affect confined animals,” said a source at JACK.
The monkeys were recovered from a South African-registered
container truck, which entered Zimbabwe from Malawi through the Forbes border
post.
The driver and five accomplices were arrested after failing
to provide the necessary animal movement and export permits. The six included
Zimbabwean, Zambian and Congolese citizens.
Their fate remains unknown amid fears of a cover-up in
Zimbabwe where they were remanded in custody after initial appearance in court.
They are alleged to be members of an international
syndicate that has taken advantage of war and lawlessness in the DRC to steal
chimpanzee babies, monkeys and baboons and smuggle them to Europe and the Middle East.
The animals are smuggled by trucks from DRC through Malawi
and Mozambique. From Johannesburg, some animals are smuggled to Europe, the
Middle East and Asia where there is high demand from pet owners, zoos and
circuses. Standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment