Abused monkey who was flushed down toilet and fed cocaine now thriving in rescue centre with help from boyfriend

25 August 2022, 09:54

An abused monkey who was flushed down a toilet and offered cocaine is enjoying living her new life - and now has a boyfriend.

Milly the marmoset was rescued after distressing videos showed her being flushed down the lavatory and clinging onto the side for dear life.

The marmoset was also shown to have been offered cocaine and a dog made to chase her - leaving her cowering in the corner.

The RSPCA seized the pet and she was rehomed at Monkey World in Dorset in January with the rescue centre calling her case "one of the worst Monkey World has encountered in over 30 years".

At first, she was struggling to settle and staff at the centre were worried about the effects the abuse had on her.

They slowly built up her confidence and provided her with a fellow marmoset mate called Moon who was rescued from the pet trade.

Moon was quick to respond to Milly's alarm calls and would stand by her side to reassure her, which has helped her learn to trust again.

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Now the pair are inseparable and love spending time in their large enclosure hunting insects and enjoying each other's company.

Dr Alison Cronin, Director of Monkey World, was asked to provide witness testimony for the court case against Milly's owner.

Dr Cronin said: "Milly's case was tragic and heart breaking. She spent her life living in fear and was subjected to abuse and cruelty that is the worst that I have seen in more than 30 years of rescuing primates.

"Milly will never fully recover from her abuse and will be psychologically damaged for the rest of her life but the key to saving Milly was companionship of her own kind. With Moon at her side, she has been able to relax and enjoy her life, finally."

Her former owner, Vicki Holland, from Newport, Gwent, was charged and convicted of three breaches of Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act and sentenced to a 12 week suspended sentence, £600 fine and lifetime ban on keeping animals.

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Team Leader of Small Monkeys, Steph Sawyer, added: "Rehabilitating Milly has been a long process. I have never seen such a terrified marmoset.

"Milly cringed away and hid from every person she encountered, any loud noise or sudden movement would sent her into a screaming alarm call and looking for somewhere to hide.

"She wouldn’t move or eat in front of us to begin with; only freeze and hide. Even now that she is settled and happy with a male, the sight of new people can still cause her to panic. The mental scarring from her abuse will always be with her."

RSPCA inspector Sophie Daniels, who rescued Milly, said: "This was a very disturbing case, but I am pleased to see Milly is doing well in a fantastic environment with her boyfriend Moon by her side."

Milly is now featuring in a RSPCA Cancel Out Cruelty campaign.

If you’d like to support the care of Milly, and others like her from the UK pet trade, you can donate to Monkey World’s fundraiser here: https://gofund.me/5778af84