By: Shane Marks
In light of recent reports of a capuchin monkey causing havoc for residents at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) will be moving to institute a ban on the keeping and sale of these animals as pets.
“From July 2022, there will be a ban on the sale and keeping of capuchins (jack monkey) as pets. Individuals who currently have capuchins as pets are required to register with the GWCMC and have these animals microchipped,” the Commission announced today on their social media platforms.
A few days ago, a nongovernmental organisation called Animal Welfare Activists of Guyana (AWAG) posted on its Facebook Page an incident involving this type of monkey bothering residents of Tuschen.
The organisation posted concerns expressed by a resident, who wished to remain anonymous. That resident explained that the monkey was destroying household items, stealing from local shops, and contaminating rainwater stored for consumption.
After that post went viral, it was reported on Sunday that the monkey was expected to be captured by another animal welfare group called Tales of Hope which would have taken the animal to the national zoo. There, it is expected that officials will conduct an assessment to determine whether the animal can be released back into the wild, depending on how domesticated he currently is.
When contacted, the Communications Officer of GWCMC Deuel Hughes, stated that he is unsure if the monkey was captured by organisation.
However, he told this publication, via email, that “this is not the first incident featuring that species of monkeys. In fact, it is quite common for this particular species to be mischievous.”
As such, he explained that this is why the Commission is moving to initiate the ban on the keeping and sale of these animals as pets.
The GWCMC, formerly the Wildlife Division, is the operational arm of the Wildlife Management Authority and the Wildlife Scientific Authority. It executes the daily activities associated with the regulation of the international wildlife trade.
It issues permits and certificates for import, export and re-export, processes applications for licences and forwards the applications to the Wildlife Management Authority for decision, inspects holding premises for licensing purposes, monitors holding premises and coordinates activities for the Wildlife Scientific Authority.
