Dr. Roytal Orbach, director of the municipal veterinary service, said, "Several weeks ago, we received a report about a monkey seen in the city near a main road. We searched for it for an extended period but couldn't locate it. After some time, we received a call from the Nesher factory, which told us the monkey had come to them."

"Veterinary service workers went to the location and discovered the monkey was on very high poles in the factory, and there was great difficulty reaching it. In order not to endanger it, several traps were left, and this morning it was finally caught. The monkey was transferred to the Israeli Primate Sanctuary for continued care and examinations," Orbach added.

The Nature and Parks Authority reported that this is the 54th green vervet monkey captured in Israel since the beginning of March, when the first monkey was caught. Uri Laniel, manager of wildlife in captivity at the Nature and Parks Authority, said, "Many owners apparently understood how complex it is to keep a monkey at home, and simply released them into nature. Monkeys are sensitive, intelligent creatures that seek their own kind. Imagine being thrown into nature that isn't yours, without any similar creature beside you – this is terrible abuse. A monkey is not a pet, it's a wild animal whose place is in nature in its natural habitat, or in good sanctuaries and zoos if there's no choice, and not in Israeli nature where it can become an invasive species."

The Nature and Parks Authority stated that "if you know of a person keeping a wild animal illegally, or you encounter an exotic animal in Israeli nature, you are requested to contact the Nature and Parks Authority hotline at 3639* or Israel Police hotline 100."

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For the first time in 11 years, the Ramat Gan Safari Park just outside Tel Aviv saw the birth of an orangutan earlier this month. 

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The news broke only this week because the infant was hidden by her furry mother for several weeks by hugging it closely. But in recent days, the mother Tanna, let workers get a glimpse of her infant, confirming the almost-historic development. 

The proud father, called by the staff Rachamim (mercy in Hebrew) was incidentally the last living orangutan in the safari to have been born on its premises until the birth this month. His mother, named Rochaleh, died when he was 7 years old. 

Watch the following footage of the newbie at the safari. 

Video: Yam Siton

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The post After 11 long years, Israelis elated by rare birth at zoo appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A black macaque monkey at the Ramat Gan Safari was injured Saturday by shrapnel from a rocket that was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip and intercepted by Israel's air defenses.

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The safari veterinarians did not immediately realize what had caused the injury. Only after performing several X-rays did they realize the monkey had been hit by shrapnel.

Video: Ramat Gan Safari

The safari reported that the animal underwent surgery, the shrapnel was removed, and that the money was awake and under observation, with caretakers keeping close watch over her.

Rocket shrapnel also caused damage to the monkey area of the safari. Keepers stepped out of bomb shelters to move the monkeys into protected areas where they would be safe.

The post Monkey at Ramat Gan Safari sustains shrapnel hit appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.