A poor monkey has been rescued after spending 35 years chained up in a house.
The animal was found tied to a table built especially for it.
The authorities said the monkey showed signs of severe malnutrition, along with other ailments such as loss of vision.
They were alerted to the animal’s plight by an anonymous call to the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Alto Magdalena in Colombia.
Officials arrived at the property in the town of Garzón and rescued the primate after it spent nearly four decades chained up.
A CAM spokesperson said: “After our wildlife experts assessed the animal, it was determined that it is an adult female with a marked degree of imprinting (humanisation) and injuries consisting of loss of vision due to ocular infection, drastic alterations to its teeth, alopecia, and keratosis from where it was chained up.”
The authorities also called on local residents to release any wild animals being kept in captivity in cages, patios or inside homes.
The CAM spokesperson stated: “As an environmental authority, we continue our work to preserve these wild species.
“We call on citizens to refrain from buying, receiving, or keeping wild animals in captivity.”
It is unclear if the owners face charges for allegedly keeping the monkey chained up for 35 years.
One local commented: “My God. That is evil. There is no forgiveness. Full weight of the law.”
Annie wrote: “It breaks my soul.”
Angela said: “So sad. That’s humans for you. A cruel and selfish being when it comes to animals. There’s so much pain on his face, so many years of abandonment and suffering.”
Carolina remarked: “We failed her as human beings for 35 continuous years. In 35 years, everyone who saw her never did anything.”
