Three baby chimpanzees were stolen from a sanctuary in Congo and are being abused and held for ransom.

Source: ClickHeart TV 2/Youtube

The three chimps were rescued from animal trafficking and have now been kidnapped from a rescue center in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Experts are worried about more widespread animal kidnapping in the area.

The founders of the Jeunes Animaux Confisqués au Katanga (JACK) sanctuary, Roxanne and Franck Chantereau, said that they received videos of the chimps in a dirty undisclosed location. One of the chimps had his arms tied above his head. The videos were shared on JACK Facebook.

The kidnappers threatened to decapitate one of the animals and sell the two others to Chinese traffickers unless they receive a large cash sum, The New York Times reported. The ransomers also even went as far as to threaten the life of Roxanne Chantereau and her two children.

The chimps named Hussain, Monga, and César were all rescued from trafficking. Unfortunately, chimp abductions are not uncommon as they are often stolen for the exotic animal or meat trade.

“They went through hell, their families were killed, they were sold, transported, and extensive financial resources were put forward to repatriate them,” Franck Chantereau told France Info.

According to Chantereau, for every young chimp that is captured, eight to ten adult chimps are killed by poachers. That means 3,000 to 5,000 chimps are killed every year in the DRC alone.

The Chantereaus said that they have been targeted several times, but this is the first time that a primate has been held for ransom or they have received death threats. This kidnapping and ransom are absurd, and we hope that these animals will be returned safely to the sanctuary!

Animal abuse is more prevalent than many may think. According to PetPedia, every 60 seconds, an animal suffers from abuse, with more than 65 percent being dogs. More than 10 million animals die from abuse every year in the US alone, not including the livestock bred for consumption, who also suffer immense abuse. Animal abuse happens everywhere and is a serious issue. We need more laws to protect animals and hold abusers accountable.

Sign this petition to demand all states make all animal abuse a felony now!

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