AAP offers help to confiscated Barbary Macaques

After the successful transport of our Hamadryas Baboons and Pigtail Macaques to Primadomus, the AAP van was reloaded immediately with two Barbary Macaques. The two young females were confiscated about a year ago in the harbour of Ceuta, which is a Spanish enclave in Morocco. They were given shelter in local asylum, while the authorities went searching for a permanent solution.

Don't buy a monkey!

Past summer employees from AAP handed out thousands of flyers to tourists in Spanish harbours who were on their way to Morocco. The purpose was to warn these tourists not to buy a Barbary Macaque in Morocco. Because of this campaign, the involved authorities contacted AAP to see if we could provide them with a solution for the two confiscated monkeys. We were confronted with the fact that even though Ceuta is officially Spanish territorium, the Spanish Veterinary Service considers it to be a part of Morocco. Therefore, special import documents were required. Luckily AAP was not only able to offer shelter for the two young females, but also succeeded in arranging the required documents.

Efficient

We hope that because of our effecient performance the Spanish authorities in future will ask for our help more often. Possibly we will be able to house confiscated primates directly in Primadomus from now on, so that these animals will no longer have to make the long journey to Holland anymore. Instead we would be able to take care of them near their country of origin.

Barbary Macaque issues

At the time of their confiscation the two females were less than a year old. Each year around 300 young Barbary Macaques are taken from the wild and put up for sale on Moroccon markets. European tourists buy these animals out of pity, but once they are home again, they realise that a monkey is not a good pet and want to get rid of it. They give the animal up or just put it on the street. Not only does the illegal trade threaten the wild population of Barbary Macaques, it also puts a big strain on the space available in sanctuaries such as AAP for young Barbary Macaques who have nowhere else to go.