Rescue Monkey From Egypt's Streets
Donation protected
A few months ago after moving to Cairo, Egypt, I came across a pet shop located in a busy street that had a full-sized monkey in a tiny cage. I went over to check on him, and he immediately grabbed my hand with his human-like hands. I was instantly heartbroken. I learned that he was not for sale - the pet owner kept the monkey, Ziko, for over 7 years as a pet.
While the pet shop owner loves him and feeds him, Ziko is still a wild mammal that truly belongs in the wild. I spent hours researching and contacting locals about what to do to free him with little luck. After learning that primates are not allowed to be exported out of Egypt, my goal was to convince the owner to put him in a larger shelter that he can at least climb and be comfortable in. One very special Egyptian woman connected me to the Animal Protection Foundation, which currently serves over 1000 dogs and cats in Cairo. They always wanted to create a monkey sanctuary in Egypt and quickly offered the space to build a larger shelter for him and take care of him.
(Ziko's home would be where the white van is, at the front of the shelter.)
After days of research and calls with organizations in South Africa that rescue Vervet monkeys, the same as Ziko, we presented the offer to the pet shop owner. After an hours of discussing, he shockingly agreed that Ziko should have more space. He was willing to free him.
We are now raising $2500 to build a 10x5 meter shelter for Ziko in the Animal Protection Foundation's grounds. This will cover the building materials, builders, trees and tires that will be put inside for him to play.
We will be sure to post updates as the shelter is complete, and we will film when we get to transfer Ziko over! We will show all receipts from Animal Protection Foundation as well.
Thank you for your support and having the heart for rescuing such a beautiful mammal. Any amount will get us closer to freeing him ASAP.
While the pet shop owner loves him and feeds him, Ziko is still a wild mammal that truly belongs in the wild. I spent hours researching and contacting locals about what to do to free him with little luck. After learning that primates are not allowed to be exported out of Egypt, my goal was to convince the owner to put him in a larger shelter that he can at least climb and be comfortable in. One very special Egyptian woman connected me to the Animal Protection Foundation, which currently serves over 1000 dogs and cats in Cairo. They always wanted to create a monkey sanctuary in Egypt and quickly offered the space to build a larger shelter for him and take care of him.
(Ziko's home would be where the white van is, at the front of the shelter.)
After days of research and calls with organizations in South Africa that rescue Vervet monkeys, the same as Ziko, we presented the offer to the pet shop owner. After an hours of discussing, he shockingly agreed that Ziko should have more space. He was willing to free him.
We are now raising $2500 to build a 10x5 meter shelter for Ziko in the Animal Protection Foundation's grounds. This will cover the building materials, builders, trees and tires that will be put inside for him to play.
We will be sure to post updates as the shelter is complete, and we will film when we get to transfer Ziko over! We will show all receipts from Animal Protection Foundation as well.
Thank you for your support and having the heart for rescuing such a beautiful mammal. Any amount will get us closer to freeing him ASAP.
Organizer
Colette Ghunim
Organizer
Elgin, IL
