Hilary was illegally bought as a family pet after her mother had been killed in order to capture her from the wild.
As a baby she was fussed over and even dressed up and taken out on family trips etc. However, as she grew up the total unsuitability of keeping an isolated monkey as a pet became obvious as she became irritable and started to bite. By the time we were notified her life consisted of solitary imprisonment in a small bare cage with no outlet for her intelligence.
Despite the deprivation of her existence the owners were totally opposed to her going ,even though it meant she would be able to mix with other monkeys and have a more enjoyable life. In the end we got the authority from the Forestry Department and the Animal Welfare Board of India to remove her by force.
At first Hilary was quite dangerous but she now comes out for daily walks with male volunteers along with Sasha, her pen mate, who she has a very close bond with.
