Photo Gallery: Abandoned by Bieber
Bye-Bye Bieber Pop Star's Pet Monkey to Stay in Germany
Teen pop star Justin Bieber intends to abandon his pet monkey in Germany, where it was confiscated by customs in late March, according to the shelter caring for the animal on Tuesday.
"Justin Bieber's American management has sent me an email saying they would like to leave the monkey here in Germany in a facility where it can stay long-term," says Karl Heinz Joachim, head of the Munich animal shelter where the tiny capuchin monkey has been living.
With just days to go before the Friday, May 17 deadline to submit the required paperwork to get the animal back, it appears that Bieber has decided to desert his former pet, which he turned over to customs officials in Munich after he failed to produce the proper documentation while on tour. If the monkey isn't retrieved by then, he will effectively become German property.
There have been some concerns that "Mally" -- who was just 14 weeks old when Bieber received him as a birthday present on March 1 -- might suffer health problems after being taken from his mother at such a young age. But now the shelter says the 5-month-old monkey is developing and doing well.
Once the deadline passes, Mally is likely to be housed at a German zoo with a group of other capuchins.
"I have named a few places where he could now be permanently housed, but I haven't heard yet where he will go," Joachim told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "Whatever zoo he goes to will know that he will be a bit famous, and may be hoping for that too."
Animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) welcomed Bieber's decision to turn the monkey over to professional caregivers, but told celebrity news site WENN.com that it would prefer Mally to be in the United Kingdom. "PETA strongly opposes sending Mally to a zoo in Germany, where 'surplus' animals are often sold to circuses, animal testing labs, and private collectors," a spokesperson alleged.
Dependent on Humans
In the end, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment will decide on Mally's permanent home. According to Joachim, there are several zoos in Germany with capuchins, but until one can be found, Bieber will be required to cover the costs of Mally's care. That comes out to around €70 ($91) a day.
"The shelter workers spend 4 hours caring for the monkey alone each day," Joachim says, adding that he doubts Bieber, an international pop sensation, will struggle to pay the bill, which could also be accompanied by a fine from customs and possible legal action.
Once Mally's new home has been determined, it will take a while for him to fully integrate with his new companions, however. The young monkey, whose species is highly social, is already quite dependent on humans, Joachim says. "But I hope that it will still work," he adds.
While Joachim said he had read an unsubstantiated report that Bieber was already in possession of a replacement monkey, the teen idol has probably had other things on his mind than animals this week. Thieves broke into a Johannesburg stadium after a Bieber concert there, making off with some 3 million rand ($330,000) in cash, local media and police reported on Monday.
