Confiscation
After the two animals were discovered, the Spanish authorities Equipo de Protección de la Naturaleza (EPRONA) of the Guardia Civil, with the help of AAP, took immediate action to seize the animals. Recently, our veterinarian Roberto Melero was able to pick up Meyers and Lori and free them from their terrible situation.
Lack of care
After an initial check during the rescue operation, veterinarian Roberto Melero determined that years of lack of proper care had caused many health problems for the two Barbary macaques. He says: ‘We don’t know how long they have been living in these conditions, but we can see the devastation that captivity and neglect have caused to these two animals. Not to mention that primates should never be kept as pets.’
He continues: ‘The animals were in very poor hygienic conditions, in completely rusted and empty cages, without any form of enrichment or access to water. Both animals were extremely thin and weak, with obvious muscle atrophy and mobility problems as a result of poor nutrition and long confinement in small cages without the possibility of moving around properly. They had caries, broken and missing teeth, as well as a jaw lesion resulting from old, untreated infectious processes. There were bald patches in their fur, possibly due to metabolic diseases, and signs of stereotypical behaviour. All of this points to clear shortcomings in their care and neglect of veterinary checks over a long period of time. We are very concerned about them, especially the female, who has the worst prognosis.
Recovery
At our shelter in Spain, we can continue working on Meyers and Lori’s recovery. The animals will first go into quarantine, where they can get used to their new environment in peace.
