Painted blue from head to tail, a vervet monkey wanders through Deer Park in Nelson Mandela Bay after being caught and coated by an unknown culprit
A wild monkey in Nelson Mandela Bay was pinned down and covered in blue paint before being released back into its troop's territory.
Welfare group Monkey Matters Eastern Cape spotted the drenched vervet in Deer Park on Sunday, warning that the paint could poison it and lead to a "slow, agonising death."
The animal has evaded capture, as it does not remain in one place long enough for rescuers to reach it, but the group reported that it appears to be doing fine.
Charne van der Mescht, co-founder of Monkey Matters Eastern Cape, which has rescued primates in the province for more than 25 years, said the act stemmed from a belief that painting a monkey would scare off its troop.
