It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that our newest arrival to the sanctuary, Maliki the vervet monkey, passed away suddenly only a week after arriving at the sanctuary.
On examination, it was confirmed that he passed from a long-standing heart condition – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – which had gone undiagnosed during his five years of being kept as a pet. The condition causes a thickening of the heart tissue, impeding its proper function. The original cause may have been diet, or it may have been a congenital defect – unfortunately, there is no way of knowing. One of the major challenges of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is that it is usually symptomless and, as in the case of little Maliki, those with the condition might show no sign of illness whatsoever until their heart suddenly fails.
A Painful Loss
Our team is devastated to lose Maliki, but we can take comfort in the fact that he did not suffer. Indeed, in his very short time with us, he spent his time playing, exploring, devouring delicious and nutritious food, chattering to his neighbors, being groomed and loved by our team, and snuggling in his sleeping box with his blankets and teddy bear. He was such a sweet boy, with boundless energy, and a gentle nature.
We are shocked and heartbroken that Maliki had just over a week of relative freedom in his short life before his sudden passing. We were so looking forward to supporting him on his journey of recovery – a new beginning Born Free USA supporters made possible with your generous donations to his rescue and care. We were eager to see him living and forming friendships with others of his own kind for the first time in his life. It is always so hard to lose our friends, but this loss feels particularly cruel as Maliki had been deprived of all that he should have had for his whole life. He had only just taken his first steps on the road to recovery. I am grateful that we had the chance to know him and, in his last week, he was finally able to experience a life closer to the one he deserved.
The Primate Pet Trade Must End
Maliki’s tragic death underlines the urgent need to bring an end to the cruel trade in primates as pets in the United States. Born Free is working to see the Captive Primate Safety Act passed into law, which would prohibit the private keeping of primates as pets and bring an end to dangerous and inappropriate interactions with primates in public spaces such as zoos.
Maliki’s condition may have been something he was born with, or it may have been something that developed as a result of his diet over the last five years. What we can be sure of is that, if this little monkey had been born in his natural home in Africa, he would have spent his years with family and friends and lived in freedom. Instead, his short life was spent alone in a cage in a private home. It is not right. The trade must end.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Liz
