CHIMPS WITHOUT DESTINATION

Twenty years ago, Judith Gil, who loved animals, received a call from a friend who worked at the port of Castellon and had found in the hold of a ship, going from Africa to Ukraine, a four-month old chimpanzee. Judith picked up the female baby chimp, built a small enclosure for her and made her part of the family.

Montse was the name given to thechimp, who grew up and became a strong and smart being, who did not conform to live in that room because she wanted to continue sharing life in the family, as one more member.

Recently, Montse escaped and it was difficult to keep her controlled, until a vet arrived to anesthetize and return her to thes enclosure. Montse’s adoptive mother, Judith Gil, made contact with the GAP Project in Spain after contacting zoos that could be interested in receiveing Montse.

GAP Project, according to right procedures, contact SEPRONA (responsible for environmental and nature conservation issues in Spain), so it could act immediately, since the risk of another leak and a major accident were real. SEPRONA visited Judith’s home, in theory took control of the chimpanzee, since she had no legal documents of the entry into Spain, and began searching for a destination for her. Montse got stressed with the situation and began to self-mutilate.

Here the drama of Montse joins the drama of Spain. Dozens of primates and other animals remain in limbo, without destination; several times they are kept with the people who used to kept them enslaved, since there is no suitable place to house the animals. Spain has two small sanctuaries, which do not carry more primates and have no sufficient financial resources to be expanded. Spain has no proper places to receive large wild animals rescued in the country on illegal conditions, and depends on the actual animal rights violators and on zoos to keep them alive.

Montse is awaiting a destination and it looks like a zoo in Sevilla could house her. Judith is willing to pay for their transportation to this site, which will cost more than two thousand euros, so that Montse will live in a decent place, without being exploited as dozens of other animals are in Spain and Europe.