This Wednesday, the administrations seized the capuchin monkey she had lived with for four decades from a 94-year-old woman. The measure was applauded by entities dedicated to the defense of animals and condemned by neighbors, merchants and associations on this side of the Eixample. Police from the City Council, rural agents from the Generalitat and employees from the municipal Animal Welfare area also took a dog. Consistory sources say that neither the monkey nor the dog lived in adequate conditions. It is truly a story with many points of view.
"A long time ago a neighbor brought some monkeys from Venezuela, and from time to time I took care of Lino, Linito, and in the end I bought him for 40,000 pesetas because all the monkeys were dying, and I didn't want Lino "he died," says María, in a lucid, anguished, indignant way. When he was little he would climb on my shoulder and we would watch TV. The horses scared him and he would cover his face! He has always lived with me. For 30 years he had a cage as big as a room, but when he died my partner had to put him in a smaller one, with his toys. Even Frank Cuesta came here. So Lino was already very old. These animals don't live that long. I have always given him bananas, walnuts, pears, grapes... and peeled apples without seeds and hard-boiled quail eggs! He loves quail eggs... and I talk to him, and he listens to me and holds my hand, somehow he understands me. I feel like a child has been taken from me. I didn't want them to take him, but they told me that if I didn't let them take him, they would come back when I least expected it with a court order and a locksmith and they would fine me 60,000 euros, and that's how they also took my dog Luana! . It was more than three hours of very tense tug-of-war.
The Foundation for Advice and Action in Defense of Animals (FAADA) celebrated the seizure of this capuchin monkey as a great victory. This entity stated yesterday in a statement that it has been denouncing Lino's living conditions for around ten years, that neither his cage nor his diet were ever appropriate or convenient, that Lino never had the opportunity to interact with other monkeys, that he was not the sun was shining... and also that it has been a long time since the regulations allow an animal of these characteristics to live in the city, that during all this time the City Council, the Generalitat and the Environmental Prosecutor's Office of Barcelona shied away from their responsibilities one and again. “But this January – FAADA continues in its statement –, following the entry into force of the Law for the Protection of the Rights and Welfare of Animals, we presented a new complaint to the Generalitat because this law explicitly prohibits the possession of primates throughout the national territory. So the administrations could no longer evade their responsibilities. We celebrate this victory, but we regret that the lack of determination of the administrations has not allowed this rescue to be made much sooner.”
Neighbors and merchants from the neighborhood also came to this corner of Sant Antoni, the plumber who does repairs on the floor, members of an NGO who from time to time give him a hand and also a look... “It was very unpleasant! "You don't treat an older woman!" “Yes, María is 94 years old, and Lino is about 40. The life expectancy of these animals is about 30 years. They are two old people, was it really necessary to separate them like this at this point?” “Lino doesn't know another life. He has never interacted with other monkeys.” “If they believe that María cannot take care of him, perhaps the solution is to help her.” “It is true that today the law prohibits having a primate in the city, but 40 years ago you could buy a monkey on the Rambla.”
Rafael Martínez, from the De Veí a Veí neighborhood NGO, says that this entity has been helping María for a few years now. “Actually we are talking about care for a 94-year-old woman who lives alone. Suddenly leaving her without Lino is a very hard blow for her. The laws are clear, but other possibilities should have been considered.” And Lidia Núñez, from the Som Sant Antoni merchants association, explains that now they will try to get someone from the neighborhood to adopt Luana, her dog, so that María can see her again. “And, well, apparently Lino is in some facilities of the Mona foundation in Riudellots de la Selva,” adds the one from the merchants association. We hope to organize an excursion soon to go see him and bring María a few photos. Maybe she can go visit him too. We'll see...".
