Durban wildlife group sounds alarm over monkeys being shot in residential areas

A monkey found injured in a Durban suburb had been shot multiple times and left paralysed, prompting a wildlife rescue organisation to warn residents against taking matters into their own hands when dealing with wild animals.

The incident happened in Everest Heights, north of Durban, on Friday after a concerned resident contacted Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA).

The resident had discovered a monkey but was unsure whether it was still alive.

When RUSA officers arrived, they found that the animal was alive but was behaving aggressively. Officers managed to safely capture it before handing it over to the Wildlife Rescue Organisation.

However, the monkey’s injuries were too severe to treat.

Monkey had been shot with pellets

According to East Coast Radio, Wildlife Rescue Organisation founder Lindy Elmes said the monkey had multiple pellets lodged in its body. The animal had been shot in the neck and had several other pellets in its body.

Elmes said it was also paralysed and had to be euthanised because of the extent of its injuries. The incident has renewed concerns about the shooting of monkeys in Durban’s residential areas.

Elmes said her organisation was increasingly dealing with monkeys that had been shot but survived their injuries.

“People shoot them, but they don’t kill them – they injure them,” she said.

She said rescuers are then called to collect the injured animals and take them to a veterinarian, where they often have to be euthanised because of paralysis or serious neurological injuries.

“There are a lot of people shooting monkeys,” Elmes said.

She also highlighted the difficulty of prosecuting those responsible.

According to Elmes, wildlife organisations may have information about suspected incidents, but proving who fired the shot can be difficult without evidence such as a witness, video footage or other proof linking a person to the shooting.

Why are vervet monkeys found in Durban suburbs?

The monkey rescued in Everest Heights was a vervet monkey, a species commonly found across parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Vervet monkeys are highly adaptable and can live in a range of environments, including forests, savanna, farmland and areas close to human settlements.

As Durban has expanded, natural habitat has increasingly been surrounded by homes, roads and other development. This can bring monkeys and people into closer contact.

Vervets are also attracted to easy sources of food. Fruit trees, vegetable gardens, bird feeders, unsecured rubbish and food left outdoors can all encourage monkeys to visit residential properties.

Once they learn that a particular area provides reliable food, they may return regularly.

Vervet monkeys live in social groups, known as troops, and can contain several dozen animals.

They communicate using a range of calls and other behaviours, including different alarm calls when they detect potential predators.

They are also opportunistic feeders. Their natural diet includes fruit, leaves, flowers, seeds and insects, although monkeys living around people may also take advantage of human food.

This can create conflict, particularly when monkeys enter homes or gardens looking for something to eat.

What should you do if you find an injured monkey?

Residents who encounter an injured, distressed or trapped wild animal should contact a wildlife rescue or animal welfare organisation rather than attempting to handle it themselves.

An injured monkey may be frightened and unpredictable and could bite or scratch if it feels threatened.

Residents should also keep children and pets away from the animal and avoid surrounding or chasing it. Where possible, provide rescuers with the animal’s location and a description of its condition.

The Wildlife Rescue Organisation says professional assistance is particularly important when an animal appears to have been shot, as the injuries may not always be visible.