Animalia Animal Protection, Proyecto Gran Simio and the Animalist Coordinator of the Valencian Community,

Last November 14, 2018, Animalia Animal Protection and Proyecto Gran Simio reported to the media, the chaotic situation and abandonment in which there were five Japanese macaques, in Guardamar del Segura (Alicante). These animals lived in a private estate that houses a "private collection" of animals of different species. The aforementioned macaques were also found in tiny capture cages filled with accumulated excrement over time; all a source of infection and degrading hygienic conditions for the life of the macaques.

Nuria Cabrito Moliner, secretary of the board of Animalia Animal Protection, organized a device, with the help of specialists and the collaboration of Paco Cuellar of Proyecto Gran Ape, to transfer the macaques to other facilities duly conditioned inside the same enclosure; while they searched for the definitive home where they could be accommodated. The biologist who has been in the care of the macaques permanently, counted on this with the help and knowledge of the veterinarian Salvador Marín Lillo, a specialist in primates.

The Administration has been trying for years to find the final destination but without success: they contacted the Berlin Zoo (place of origin of the animals) that refused to accept them and also contacted the Primadomus Center in Villena who said they could not take care of them at that time, and that he presented to Consellería a budget to prepare a place for the animals and find the right place for his trip. Given the refusal of the Ministry to pay that amount to Primadomus and what seemed like the last possibility of these animals, which were since 2008 locked in cages, an animal organization offered to organize an event with which to get the money and power send the animals to Holland, which they notified to the address of Primadomus.

The complexity and the work that has involved finding an ethical destination for these five macaques has shown the effort that, both at the state level and at the regional level, will have to be carried out by the competent authorities to create rescue and reintegration centers of public ownership, managed by officials and specialized personnel. Centers that ensure a dignified life for all those species coming from seizures, circuses, zoos or any kind of show with animals.

For Ángela Molina president of the Animalist Coordinator of the CV: "The entry into force on January 31 in the Valencian Community of the prohibition of circuses with animals is a challenge before which we must begin to react as soon as possible. We have to plan where to relocate the animals that may be abandoned because they have stopped being productive. "

Finally the rescue center Wales Apes & amp; Monkey Sanctuary, attached to the Great International Ape Project, whose Director is Graham Norton, will be the definitive home of the five Guardamar macaques. Pedro Pozas, director of Project Great Ape Spain shows his satisfaction as the animals are under the care of a prestigious center. On January 16, the animals will take the road to their new home where, undoubtedly, they will live in better conditions than they have had up to now.

The organizations that have been caring for months and finally transferring the 5 macaques show that once again, it has been the civil associations that have sought a decent exit for a few abandoned primates and insist on the need for laws that avoid these cases and the creation of CITES Rescue Centers in the State.

They also want to make it clear that both the first visit of the director of the Welsh sanctuary, and the majority of the operation of the transfer of the macaques in the second trip, as well as their stay in the sanctuary are in charge of the rescue center of the PGS International, except the veterinary services.

"From the Animal Protection Animal Association we thank publicly the Associations that have participated together with us in the rescue of the macaques such as Proyecto Gran Ape and the Animalist Coordinator of the Valencian Community, as well as other volunteers who have helped worried about the life of the macaques. Unquestionably the final merit is the Sanctuary of the United Kingdom, attached to the Great European International Ape Project, for the speed of its intervention, "said Andrés Navarro president of the Animal Protection Animal Association.

On the other hand, Pedro Pozas Terrados, Executive Director and International President of the Proyecto Gran Simio in Spain has indicated that: "This joint success of associations in animal defense, must be at all times the key to fight against animal abuse and request laws such as an Animal Protection Law at national level or a General Directorate of Animal Protection that depends on the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Likewise, due to the diversity of competences existing between the administrations, everything related to the CITES Agreement (secretary, management, inspectors), should depend exclusively on the aforementioned Ministry of Ecological Transition and that Royal Decree 1333/2006 be immediately repealed. of December 21, which allows the sacrifice or delivery to experimental centers of species in danger of extinction if a place of deposit is not found. "

Thank you all for supporting the petition!

For years, in the municipality of Guardamar del Segura (Alicante), there is a farm with a zoo core managed by private individuals, in which at the moment they keep five Japanese macaques that until a few days ago have been in a very small cage of grid, full of excrement without being able to clean it with possible pockets of infection without any competent authority having made any management in the transfer of these animals to a place appropriate to their species.

Given the refusal of the authorities to make any movement so that the macaques were removed from the transport cages, members of the Great Ape Project and of Animalia Animal Protection, with the consent of the owners of the farm where they are and with anonymous people without the which could not have been carried out, transported the macaques to another larger cage where at least they are better but still insufficient for their stay in captivity, within the same farm.

These two organizations faced the passivity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development of the Valencian Community, made the necessary arrangements for the macaques were moved to a place in better condition, getting that Primadomus (a rescue center) Dutch) could take care of them and their transfer to the Dutch APP. But to carry out this operation, the aforementioned rescue center asks for 50,000 euros, which means that the aforementioned Ministry has refused to pay for the relocation.

Project Great Ape and Animal Protection Animal, do not understand how the Authorities have not spoken with the rescue center to reach an agreement and lower the price of the requested.

"Japanese macaques are in danger of being killed by incompetent authorities that do not know how to protect endangered species, nor can they successfully channel rescue operations and search for places to place primates in optimal conditions of health and well-being. . We denounce that in view of these difficulties, article 8 can be applied, which allows the sacrifice of CITES species if an appropriate place or delivery to an experimental center is not found, according to Royal Decree 1333/2006, which regulates the fate of CITES species. In this regard, we request that the aforementioned Decree be repealed for failing to comply with the International Convention on Protected Species and that they immediately resolve the situation of the Guardamar del Segura macaques by moving them to an appropriate place. Being in the current situation, is violating the Law that regulates zoological centers, "said Pedro Pozas Terrados, Executive Director and International President of the Great Ape Project.

For Animalia Animal Protection and Great Ape Project, this serious situation in which Japanese macaques are found since February of this year, could be avoided if one or several State recovery centers of CITES or exotic non autochthonous species were installed in Spain. In these moments they are in the corridor of death and their situation is the sole responsibility of the Consellería.

VIDEO OF THE MACAQUES BEFORE THE TRANSFER TO ANOTHER LARGER CAGE BY MEMBERS OF THE GRIM SIMIO PROJECT AND ANIMAL ANIMAL PROTECTION, WHERE THEY HAVE REMAINED IN THIS SITUATION FOR MANY MONTHS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYD_rErABdI&feature=youtu.be

FOROGRAPHIES: ANIMAL ANIMAL PROTECTION / GRAN SIMIO PROJECT

GRAN SIMIO PROJECT - PRESS

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