Freedom for Nam Phet – Southern Pig-tailed Macaque

Yesterday the WFFT Rescue Team headed out to rescue a 3-year old Southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), Nam Phet. She had been bought as a very small baby 3 years ago, after her mother was killed, and kept as a pet. When she began to become aggressive she was locked in a small cage, thankfully the owners felt she needed a better life and asked us to help.

The Southern pig-tailed Macaque is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the population has declined dramatically over the last few decades, primarily due to hunting and habitat loss. Main threats – Destruction of forests by felling, habitat encroachment, slash and burn cultivation of the hill tribes and monoculture are all major threats. The rate of forest destruction is alarming, and is not only reducing this primate’s habitat, but also fragmenting it. The macaque’s taste for agricultural crops has also deemed it a pest, and it is therefore frequently shot on sight. Furthermore, this species macaques are very popular for use in biomedical research laboratories.

Nam Phet arrived at WFFT yesterday and is currently in quarantine. She is one of only two of her species at WFFT. We have a male named ‘Silver’ who was rescued a few months ago, we are hopeful that they will become a pair in the future. We will keep you posted on her progress.