Monkey Who Spent Eight Years on a Chain Finally Gets Her Freedom! (PHOTOS)

Every year, thousands of Thailand’s monkeys are stolen from their homes in the wild and trafficked into the pet trade. While well-meaning people think of these animals as cute companions, the tragic reality is that their lives in captivity are filled with sorrow, mistreatment, and deprivation of everything that is natural to them. Thankfully, some incredible people have been working to free these animals from their captivity. One example is Tuk, a female dusky langur, who was recently rescued by the Wild Friends Foundation Thailand.

Tuk’s mother was shot dead eight years ago and Tuk was sold as a pet. This is a common incident as wild monkeys are often either hunted for food or killed so their young can be trafficked into the exotic animal trade.

Since her capture, she has spent most of her life tethered by a short chain, attached to a metal pipe in a trash-filled garden, next to one of Thailand’s busiest highways. 

She had been fed a diet of sausage and bread, even though her species are herbivores, only eating leaves and fruit.

Tuk spent years hopelessly trying to get out of her hideous chain.

There has been nothing natural in her life – no trees, other monkeys, or foraging for food in her forest home. 

But now, she will finally have the chance at life she deserves, thanks to the incredible rescuers who are nursing her back to health.

The moment she was finally freed from her chains must have been filled with excitement!

Despite, the IUCN Red List currently listing the dusky langur as “near threatened,” these primates continue to be targeted for the pet trade. Tuk is one of the lucky few, who will now have the freedom to move and express her natural behaviors. No wild animal deserves such a tragic life. Share this article and help spread the word that wildlife belongs in the wild!

To learn more about Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand‘s work and rescue efforts, click here.

All image source: Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand