Survival fears for stolen monkey pair

Jun 24 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

THE owner of a pair of rare monkeys stolen from a children’s farm fears for their survival unless they are returned soon.

George and Mildred were two of only 10 pairs of Goeldi monkeys in captivity in Britain. There are only 300 in captivity worldwide and the breed is registered as an endangered species.

They had been donated from another animal sanctuary to Denise and Peter Wayman, proprietors of Tweddle Children’s Animal Farm in Blackhall, near Peterlee, County Durham, in the hope that they would breed.

Thieves cut through a padlock and stole the breeding pair between 11pm on Monday and 4am yesterday.

A distraught Denise said the pair would not survive unless kept in certain conditions.

“They are an endangered species native to South America and used to thriving in temperatures in the mid 20s upwards.

“While it is warm here today they need to be kept warm when the temperatures drop. We also feed them the vitamin supplement D3 which is produced in sunlight, as well as their diet of fruit,” she said.