Animal Rahat received a report that a bonnet monkey was rumored to be chained inside someone’s house in the village of Ichalkaranji. An Animal Rahat staffer called a friend who lives in that village and was able to ask around and confirm that this was indeed true.

Animal Rahat staff went to Ichalkaranji, gathered information from villagers, and learned that this poor monkey had been chained for four years with no monkey friends, no trees to climb—no semblance of a real life.

The team immediately contacted the Forest Department, which has jurisdiction over the treatment of monkeys and enforces the law against keeping them as pets. A Forest Department guard arrived an hour later. Our team and the guard then went to the owner’s house and had a prolonged discussion with him, including informing him that he was breaking the law. After some resistance, the owner surrendered the monkey, who is now living temporarily at the Forest Department nursery. For the first time in four years, he’s climbing trees and experiencing life as a monkey was meant to, not as someone’s toy or decoration.

There’s just no predicting the many wonderful ways in which the generosity of Animal Rahat supporters will manifest in life-changing results for animals. Rescuing bullocks from slaughter, monkeys from chains, civets from wells, and camels from circuses—it’s all in a month’s work for our dedicated Animal Rahat staff. Thank you for keeping India’s animals in your thoughts and in your heart. We greatly appreciate your compassion.