TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A netizen posted a message on Facebook asking the public to help track down a Formosan rock macaque which was clutching a kitten in New Taipei’s Xizhi District, per UDN.
Some fear the kitten is weak and has not eaten or drunk for three days.
New Taipei’s Department of Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office said it would work with the village leader to investigate where the macaque regularly appears and will set up a trap to rescue the endangered kitten.
The post was made on Facebook’s CrazyCat club and implored netizens to help with the search and rescue of this kitten. A previous incident involving a macaque and a puppy occurred at the end of last year as the dog was unable to feed and suffered from a broken back at the hands of the monkey.
Netizens were shocked the monkey could treat the kitten so cruelly, such as dragging it on the ground, and sometimes upside down. Many familiar with kitten care fear it has gone too long without feeding.
Hopefully, the monkey and the kitten can be successfully caught in a humane trap, with the kitten being sent for emergency medical care and the monkey being released into the wild in a suitable location.
If the public should find the kitten, please report the case immediately to a special 24-hour hotline operated by the Department of Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office at 02-29596353.
Authorities point out that this particular macaque has been staying in the area for a long period of time, and appealed to the public not to feed it and keep a safe distance.
It also encourages residents of the area to clean up the edible waste, as monkeys will naturally return to the wild after such a food source is no longer available.
