Simon Hunter
AN animal rights association in Spain has managed to rescue a capuchin monkey that had been kept in an apartment by its owner for more than 30 years.
Linito was first shut in a cage that measured just 2 by 1 by 1 metres 35 years ago by its owner in her flat in Barcelona.
The conditions the animal was kept in were, according to the FAADA animal-rights association, ‘terrible and completely inadequate for an animal of this species’.
The owner, who is aged around 80 years old, purchased the monkey several decades back for the price of €270.
The FAADA had been aware of the case since 2014, according to a press release it issued, which is when it made an attempt to take custody of the animal and offer it a better life.
Not only was the monkey confined to the cage, but it was also located in a room where there was no access to direct sunlight.
The owner confessed to the association that Linito had not left the cage since the year 2014, and was unable to run, jump or interact with other animals.
What’s more, the diet it was given was inadequate, and the animal was in a very poor physical condition.
Despite reports filed by the association with the Barcelona local council, the Catalan regional government and the environmental public prosecutor, no action was taken by the authorities over the last decade.
However, in January 2024 the FAADA filed another complaint, and thanks to Spain’s new Animal Welfare Law, which came into force late last year, negotiations with the council and the regional government were successful and the animal was passed to a foundation.
Linito will now go through a process of rehabilitation, before being taken to a centre where he can be given the chance to socialise with other monkeys.
The FAADA also managed to take custody of a dog that the owner of Linito had recently taken into her home, but that also never left the apartment.
Read more:
- Will new animal welfare laws do enough to change attitudes in Spain?
- How killing a RAT in your home could land you 18 months’ prison in Spain
