Crab eating macaques move to the Spanish sun |
AAP outplaced eight crab eating macaques to Basque park El KarpínOn October 13, a group of eight crab eating macaques* arrived at the animal shelter El Karpín in the Spanish Basque Country. They were brought to the shelter by AAP, a Netherlands-based foundation specialising in the care and rehabilitation of exotic mammals obtained from i.a. illegal traders, individuals keeping them as pets and circuses.
The group of crab eating macaques, headed by alpha male Guna Guna, that is now outplaced with the Spanish El Karpín consists of four females and four males, almost all with a sad history of illicit trafficking, abuse and/or neglect. Today, the illegal trade of many different monkey species is still very active. Inevitably, these “pets” change into aggressive animals that are difficult to handle and they are abandoned by their owners, if not seized or ceded in time. It should also be remembered that this kind of trade brings along enormous health hazards. As the monkeys are handed from owner to owner during their long lives they may be carrying almost every human disease, including various forms of hepatitis, AIDS, herpes, the Ebola virus etc. The Crab eating macaques that now live in El Karpín have been rescued by AAP from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. This prestigious shelter rescues exotic animals, especially primates, from all over Europe. By placing these animals in stable groups to socialize with their own species, El Karpín tries to outplace them in centers that can offer the animals a decent life. Guna Guna * (m, leader of the group), Abri (f), Joko (m), Kera (f), Yodi (f), Troela (f), Benny (m) and Bølle (m) See pictures of this group in Karpin here!
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The crab eating macaque is native to Asia and has a varied diet that includes crab, hence it's peculiar name in English. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) considers these macaques one of the hundred most invasive exotic species, because of their great adaptability to different habitats and food sources. Nevertheless, they are still sold illegally as pets.