7 poisoned monkeys released
Seven of the nine monkeys that survived after a mass poisoning incident in Umdloti north of Durban have been released.
22 monkeys were poisoned in the area last week. 13 of the animals died in a case that sparked outrage across the city. The surviving monkeys have been receiving treatment under the watch of the local vets and the Monkey Helpline.
The Monkey Helpline’s Steve Smit says two of the monkeys that have been in their care will not be able to return to the wild just yet.
"One of them - a young adult male - is still showing neurological signs, so he will be with us for a few weeks at least before we release him back to the troop", he said.
"The ninth one - a 5 month old baby - suffered severe head injuries when it fell from the tree from the poisoning and we are not sure if it will recover sufficiently before we release it to the wild, let alone back to the troop, because we know its mother did die from the poisoning", Smit said.