Security forces located another abandoned monkey this week in a public space in Mazkeret Batya, found chained to a tree and visibly distressed.
The discovery followed a report to the Rehovot police station about a stray monkey spotted in an open area in the town. Officers arrived at the scene, freed the monkey from the chain wrapped around it, and summoned inspectors from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to provide the necessary care.
Monkey Transferred for Medical Evaluation
The monkey, found injured, was taken for medical evaluation and later transferred to the Monkey Sanctuary for rehabilitation and monitoring. According to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the monkey is a Guenon, a species from the Old World monkey family native to Africa.
Guenon monkeys are known to be highly social and intelligent animals, yet they often fall victim to illegal wildlife trade. Authorities suspect that the monkey found in Mazkeret Batya was previously kept illegally as a pet and later abandoned in a public area.
Nationwide Operation to Locate Illegally Traded Animals
In recent weeks, police have been conducting a nationwide operation to locate animals sold on the black market. During the operation, lion cubs, monkeys, lizards, and other animals kept illegally were confiscated. Many of these animals were found in poor physical condition, suffering from mistreatment that included chains and restraints causing severe physical harm.
Uri Laniel, head of the captive wildlife department at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, reported that among the rescued animals were two-month-old lion cubs, with one female in particularly poor health: “The chains and restraints caused significant physical damage. These animals will never be able to return to the wild, and ensuring their future well-being will be extremely challenging.”
