Els van Lavieren is winner of the Future for Nature Award 2010

 
"The human species changed,
within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conquerer; Then we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight" 

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Help us monitor the trade!!

Monitoring trade is important to measure the increase or decrease of the trade and the effectivity of our work and the work of the involved governments.
Obviously we have reports of many macaques that are offered for shelter in Europe and Morocco over the last years, but we would like to ask you to help us. On this page we will publish the cases in Morocco that we hear about from you and from other sources since fall 2009. Contact us
 
  • A macaque offered for sale alongside the road between Tanger and Ceuta (September 2009)
  • A macaque confiscated from a private owner near Mohammedia (Fall 2009)
  • A young adult male macaque kept as pet near Azrou (December 2009)
  • A young adult femal macaque bought by French people in Morocco and now living with a Moroccan family near Casablanca in bad conditions (January 2010)
  • A young adult female macaque kept as pet in Tetouan (January 2010)An adult female macaque smuggled from Tanger to Genova (January 2010)
  • 3 macaques kept as pets in region Mohammedia (March 2010)
  • One male and one female macaque– around 2 years old in a village just outside Tetouan. Condition fair. Origin Middle Atlas (owner says they were purchased because grandchildren wanted them (source: BMCRif - between October 2009 and May 2010)
  • One male – unknown age. Kept in garage in Tetouan. Condition unknown. Origin Middle Atlas. Purchased as company for owner. Garage now closed but Ahmed has phone number of owner (source: BMCRif - between October 2009 and May 2010).
  • One adult female – village of Bouhachem. Condition poor. Captured as infant from a Bouhachem group. (there was also a male that died). These people continually ask me to take this monkey away as when she escapes from her chain she wrecks everything in the area. Do you want her once the enclosures are built? She is very disturbed (self harming). At least they have learned that macaques do not make good pets and won't be getting another (source: BMCRif - between October 2009 and May 2010).
  • Juvenile in bar in Tanger, January 2011
  • Juvenile male – coastal resort of Asilah. Kept for tourist photo opportunities. Owner says he sold his former macaque to tourists and bought this one with some of the proceeds. I am worried that if the animal is confiscated by Eaux et Foret he will just buy another so haven't reported it yet (source: BMCRif - between October 2009 and May 2010).
  • Adult macaque in bad conditions in Ourzazate (March 2011)
  • Adult male in restaurant (location unknown for now), March 2011
  • Semi- adult in private home - location unknown for now, March 2011
  • Infant in a private home/ restaurant in Tinghir. June 2011
  • Young Barbary macaque chained and harassed by tourists in the Hercules caves near Tanger (July 2011)
  • 2 young macaques seized in France coming from Morocco. August 2011
  • 2 macaques found abandoned in Mellilla, Spain originating from Morocco, December 2011
A quote from a visitor to Marrakech:

" I was in Marrakech on holiday a few weeks ago and got very upset by what I saw on the main square. Two men had a cage-trolley with monkeys (probably 6) locked inside. They were dragging monkeys around by a chain round the monkey's neck to get photographed with people. The monkeys were visibly scared of the men, holding on to the chains by their neck so it wouldn't hurt so much when the men pulled in them. One monkey escaped from one of the men and he ran around after it and KICKED it when he caught it! The monkeys were very hypervigilant and clearly very scared. It made me cry! I know you are already aware of this problem, but I still wanted to report it."