Video of a Monkey, Apparently Drenched With Red Paint and Visibly Weak, Rightly Sparks Outrage
Last week, a video was posted to Instagram showing a monkey reportedly in Malaysia who had apparently been painted red by a man—initial footage showed the seemingly weak and uneasy primate tied up in a cage, his body covered with paint. The video then cuts to footage showing a man releasing the monkey into nature, likely signing his death warrant.
Covering a monkey with paint is an appalling act of cruelty. Unless this animal was quickly found and treated, he may have been poisoned by or have had a fatal allergic reaction to the paint—in addition to being a glaring target for predatory animals.
PETA U.K. Vice President Mimi Bekhechi weighed in:
Whoever set him free, even if they had the best of intentions, likely sent him to his death. It’s imperative that cruelty be reported to authorities immediately to help ensure that the victims receive the necessary specialist care and that the perpetrators are caught and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law before they subject any other animals to a similarly dreadful fate.
Monkeys are social animals. When left alone in their natural habitat, they run, climb, socialize, and bond by spending hours carefully grooming each other. They live in groups in which intimate physical contact is critical for mediating social relationships and maintaining group stability. But in the first part of the video above, this monkey was being kept in social isolation, and since monkeys typically form tight-knit bonds and are territorial, this vulnerable animal may not have the social skills necessary to be accepted into a group.
If You See Something, Say Something
It’s not enough just to be outraged—when we witness cruel treatment of animals, we must speak up. If you have seen animal abuse online, you can learn about actions that you can take or report a site to PETA by filling out this form. If you’re reporting that an animal is in imminent danger, you know specifically where to find this animal, and the abuse or dangerous situation is occurring right now, please call your local police department and/or animal control office.
Other Vulnerable Monkeys Need Our Help
From laboratories to the sets of Hollywood movies and television shows, monkeys all over the world need us to speak out. Click below to complete multiple PETA action alerts quickly and easily—thanks to our rapid action function, you can help countless primates used in experiments or for entertainment with a few simple clicks of a button:
