monkey on board ship

[Guest guest]

In reference to my email yesterday I have been asked for more info.

Unfortunately this monkey may be put down today.

 

The following should answer most questions.

 

No one knows which boat the monkey is on or its reason for coming to Australia.

The government will not release that information, obviously hoping to avoid the

press coverage at the scene. .

 

No one knows how the monkey got on board. The crew state it just appeared. My

guess is that it is the pet of a crew member.

 

No there are quarantine facilities in Sydney and the monkey can be quarantined.

People can get rabies from monkeys. I spoke at length with Prof Groves on this

subject. However there is no proof the monkey has rabies.

 

There is really only one option if the monkey is saved and that is a zoo.

 

Below are the 2 newspaper articles. The government is not revealing much more to

us than what is in the newspapers.

 

A member of the press is speaking to us now but it may be too late.

 

Lyn

 

Seafaring monkey wanted, dead or alive

Michael Ruffles

 

The crew of a cargo ship heading for Sydney are frantically searching for a

wild monkey running loose on the vessel.

 

Unless they catch or kill the monkey by tomorrow, Australia's quarantine

service will not allow the ship to dock in Sydney for fear the animal could

be carrying rabies.

 

A spokesman for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service said the

container ship, said to be coming from China, was due in Australian waters

some time tomorrow.

 

The spokesman said the crew had searched the ship twice, but the monkey had

" not been seen for a few days " .

 

Quarantine agents are concerned that a wild monkey could carry rabies, the

deadly simian encephalitis, or a number of other diseases.

 

The spokesman said agents would not risk Australia's rabies-free status.

 

Rabies is an often deadly infection which is caught from bites, and is

widespread in the world outside Oceania.

 

There have been no reported deaths from rabies in Australia since 1990, and

three in recorded history.

 

The ship's crew sent Australian authorities photos of the animal, with an

expert identifying the animal as a rhesus macaque.

 

A Quarantine spokesman said the photographs were of a poor quality and the

service was not in a position to issue them.

 

The ship's captain has been advised of Australia's quarantine requirements

and warned the monkey had to be captured or " appropriately disposed of "

before the ship would be allowed to berth in Australia.

 

The spokesman said this did not mean Quarantine condoned the crew hunting

the animal with rifles.

 

" It would be a matter of getting a qualified person to anaesthetise it and

then euthanase. " -withAAP

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rogue monkey threatens ship docking

By Nick Butterly

November 06, 2006 06:09pm

 

THE crew of a large cargo ship headed for Sydney have been told to catch or

kill a rogue monkey running loose aboard the vessel or they will not be

allowed to dock.

 

A spokesman for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) said

the container ship, said to be coming from China, was due in Australian

waters within two days.

 

The ship's crew have sent Australian authorities photos of the animal in a

bid to have it identified, but the quarantine spokesman said the shots were

of a poor quality and showed only a " small brown blur " .

 

The crew have no idea how the animal came to be aboard and say they have not

been able to get close to it since first spotting it sitting on top of a

container some weeks ago.

 

It has not been seen for almost three days.

 

" They have searched the vessel and can't find it, " the AQIS spokesman said.

 

The ship's captain has been advised of Australia's quarantine requirements

and warned the monkey had to be captured or " appropriately disposed of "

before the ship would be allowed to berth in Australia.

 

The AQIS spokesman said Australian officials might have to meet the vessel

out at sea so it could be cleared to enter port.

 

Animal handling experts might also be brought in if needed.

 

Quarantine agents are concerned that a wild monkey could carry rabies or

even simian encephalitis.

 

" Apparently it's quite wild, " the AQIS spokesman said.

 

" We will probably have to organise some kind of animal handler. "

 

The agency would not reveal the name of the ship or what it is carrying.

 

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said she hoped the animal would be dealt with in

a humane manner.