Love literally saved this maltreated monkey.
A monkey named Milly that endured years of abuse — including getting flushed down a toilet and fed cocaine — has finally discovered what it means to be “loved” after finding a boyfriend. United Kingdom’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently shared the primate’s heart-rending saga as part of their “Cancel Out Cruelty” campaign.
“This was a very disturbing case but I am pleased to see Milly is doing well,” Sophie Daniels, the heroic RSPCA inspector who rescued Milly, told the Telegraph. The lovesick marmoset currently resides with her paramour, named Moon, at Monkey World, a Dorset, England, specialist shelter that’s rescued more than 120 monkeys from the country’s illegal pet trade.
It’s been a tumultuous road for Milly, who was rescued two years ago after footage emerged of her owner and narcotics peddler Vicki Holland abusing the simian at her home in Newport, Wales. The footage was recovered during a drug raid on the Brit’s home, which uncovered Kinder Eggs containing £1,600 (nearly $2,000 worth of cocaine), the Telegraph reported.
The abuser reportedly had over 22 cellphone videos depicting her mistreating the monkey. Three were shown in court, including an appalling clip of Holland laughing as she tries to flush a “distressed” Milly down the toilet while she clings desperately to the bowl.
In another clip, the mother of four can be seen trying to get the primate to lick cocaine off her fingers. She also allegedly let her dog chase Milly around the house.
Prosecutor Aled Watkins said during the trial that while marmosets have a “very particular sets of needs,” Holland didn’t provide proper UV lighting or any essential decor for the enclosure. Milly was allegedly also fed an “inappropriate” diet of kebabs, burgers and processed ham. In the wild, the South America-dwelling marmoset primarily subsists on insects and fruit in the wild, according to animalia.bio.com.
“She spent her life living in fear and was subjected to abuse and cruelty that is the worst that I have seen in more than 30 years of rescuing primates,” said Monkey World director Dr. Alison Cronin, who testified against Milly’s owner in court. “Milly will never fully recover from her abuse and will be psychologically damaged for the rest of her life.”
Indeed, even after getting rehomed at MW, Milly struggled to adjust to her new surroundings and was terrified of people.
“Milly cringed away and hid from every person she encountered, any loud noise or sudden movement would send her into a screaming alarm call and looking for somewhere to hide,” lamented Steph Sawyer, who runs MW’s small monkeys department.
Thankfully, the put-upon primate received a major confidence boost after getting introduced to Moon, a fellow marmoset that was also rescued from Britain’s pet trade. “Moon was quick to respond to Milly’s alarm calls and would stand by her side to reassure her — which has helped her learn to trust again,” the RSPCA explained to the Telegraph.
Now, the lovebirds are reportedly “inseparable” and spend their time in their shared enclosure “hunting insects and enjoying each other’s company,” per the animal rescue org.
In other words, love literally saved Milly’s life. “The key to saving Milly was companionship of her own kind,” said Dr. Cronin. “With Moon at her side, she has been able to relax and enjoy her life, finally.”
Her disgraced former owner Holland, meanwhile, has been banned from keeping all animals for life and slapped with a 12-week jail term, which has been postponed for a year, per the Telegraph. The animal abuser was also ordered to pay £420 ($496.78) in costs and a £128 ($151.40) victim surcharge.
This was on top of a 20-month jail sentence, which was suspended for two years in November 2020, that Holland received for drug possession with an intent to supply.
