Justin Bieber has reportedly decided to give away his pet monkey rather than reclaim it from a Munich animal shelter, for the best interests of the animal.
The singer’s monkey — Mally — was seized by Munich customs officials last month after the teen star attempted to bring it into the country via private jet without having the proper paperwork.
The baby capuchin was given as a gift to Bieber for his recent 19th birthday by a producer named Jamal ‘Mally Mal’ Rashid.
It was later determined that the monkey was taken away from his mother when he was nine weeks old.
Typically, capuchins are not removed from their mothers’ care until one year minimum.
After the monkey was seized at customs, it was placed in airport quarantine for a night then kept at an animal shelter in Munich.
Accommodation and medical costs for Mally will be charged to the pop star.
The Canadian has been given a deadline of May 17 by Munich authorities to either reclaim his pet, or send a letter stating that he no longer wants the monkey.
Judith Brettmeister, spokeswoman for the Munich Animal Protection League shelter, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that they received two emails from a representative who said he was with Bieber’s management company.
While Brettmeister said she couldn’t confirm that the emails were really from the management company, she did concede, “though they appear to be.”
After first asking how long Bieber had to provide paperwork before the monkey was euthanized, the representative sent a follow-up email which has been seen by AP. It read :
“Our team is looking into the idea of placing Mally at a zoo in Germany. Would you happen to have any recommendations for places that Mally would be safe and thrive?”
The email added: “Again, we are very concerned that Mally is safe and placed in the best possible residence.”
Munich customs spokesman Thomas Meister has since clarified that Mally will remain in the shelter until either Bieber or someone with his power of attorney gets in touch with them directly.
He added: “If by May 17 there is nothing, then he loses ownership of the animal and it becomes the property of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
In addition to a number of animal welfare groups that strongly criticized Bieber and accused him of — among other things, “neglect” and “cruelty” — Karl Heinz Joachim, described by the Mail Online as the shelter’s boss, previously called on the singer [ via the media ] to give his pet away.
“We’ll appeal to the star to do the decent thing and let the monkey be free for adoption, ” Joahcim told Mail Online on April 8.
“The […] monkey needs company and to be with other monkeys at this crucial age in its life. There are a great many suitable places that have offered to take Mally and integrate him with their own capuchin monkeys where he would be much more happy with his own kind.”
“A baby monkey was never going to be suited to be on a world tour even if he is travelling by private jet. He should be out in the wild climbing trees … learning from other monkeys if he isn’t to have serious psychological problems later in life.”
Bieber had previously been given an extension to get the necessary paperwork together, after his management expressed an earlier interest in claiming the monkey.
However, it seems the singer — or those advising him — have since reflected and decided a placement in Germany would be in Mally’s best interests.
[ Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com ]