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Rare monkeys put down over fights
Black Crested Macaques
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7119061.stm

Two rare male monkeys have been put down at a Cornish zoo because they
would not stop fighting.

Officials at Newquay Zoo said they tried to re-home the endangered
Sulawesi Black Crested Macaques but no other zoo or sanctuary could
help.

A zoo spokesperson said the animals, which had become aggressive with
each other, could not live alone either.

But staff at Cornwall's Monkey Sanctuary said they were disappointed
not to have been approached for help.

'Not compatible'

Staff at Newquay Zoo said the relationship between the three male
macaques had broken down irreversibly and they were forced to make a
difficult decision.

Newquay Zoo Director Stewart Muir said: "We looked into re-homing two
of the males but they were not compatible and tensions already existed
between them."
        
They are troop animals, one on its own would have gone mad
Phil Knowling, Paignton Zoo

A spokesperson for the Monkey Sanctuary Trust said in a statement: "If
Newquay Zoo had approached us for assistance we would have been happy
to explore alternatives for the macaques through our links with other
primate sanctuaries."

The monkeys are an endangered species and their natural habitat is an
island in Indonesia.

Phil Knowling, from Paignton Zoo, said: "Newquay did its utmost to
re-house these animals by following every possible avenue.

"They are troop animals, one on its own would have gone mad."

Mr Muir said: "The enclosure at Newquay Zoo is valuable to future
breeding and survival of this species.

"This will give us the opportunity to bring in young females to join
our breeding male, so we can continue with this much-needed breeding
programme."

The Cornish zoo confirmed both euthanased males had been castrated.