Mally, a Capuchin monkey, was presented to Bieber as a present back in March of 2014. He was with the monkey for about half a month before it was taken away by German authorities. These officials demanded to see vaccination records as well as evidence that the monkey was allowed to be in the country. Mally was left in Germany without any documentation after Bieber failed to obtain them. Mally was separated from his mother much too soon, and it’s likely that his time spent with Bieber left him feeling emotionally traumatized. Even though Mally is doing well in her new home at the zoo with her new keeper, there are still a few things that can be gleaned from this experience about how to properly care for a capuchin monkey.
No one should ever give a capuchin monkey to somebody who isn’t completely committed to taking care of the monkey for the next 35–40 years. This is especially true of children. Whoever gave Justin Bieber a monkey was not concerned with the animal’s health or well-being when they did so. Capuchin monkeys are highly social animals that, in most cases, congregate in groups consisting of 10 or more individuals. They still require a significant amount of attention and specialized care when they are kept in captivity.
It is essential to determine which states allow capuchin monkeys to be kept as pets before proceeding with this endeavor. In many states, the possession of one of these is illegal or requires the owner to have a special permit. For instance, Justin Bieber was keeping his capuchin monkey, Mally, in the state of California, which prohibits keeping capuchin monkeys as pets. Additionally, Bieber planned to take Mally on tour to other states and countries that prohibit keeping capuchin monkeys as pets. It is important to check with local veterinarians to see if they have experience treating capuchin monkeys before getting a monkey of any kind. There are fewer veterinarians available to treat monkeys now that the use of monkeys as service animals has been made illegal. It is extremely risky that Bieber did not get his monkey vaccinated, as Capuchin monkeys are known to be carriers of diseases that can be passed on to humans, including hepatitis and rabies.
Mally was separated from his mother when he was only nine weeks old, which is much too young to take a monkey away from its mother. The young capuchin monkeys remain with their mothers for at least a year after they are born in the wild. Pet monkeys are frequently separated from their mothers at an inappropriate age, which leads to the development of behavioral issues in the animals. The mothers of capuchin monkeys teach their young not only what to eat but also how to use their tails and other important life skills. Unfortunately, while Mally was in Bieber’s care, it had substituted a stuffed bear for its mother figure.