Saving Manno by Spencer Sekyer

Author:Spencer Sekyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Chapter seven

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

—14TH DALAI LAMA

While Christie was away in Uganda, I threw myself back into Manno’s rescue efforts. I was still firing off inquiries to any contact I could find, but I had little to show for it. Then, one day, I opened my email and found an unusual message. It was from Jason Mier, the executive director of Animals Lebanon, a group against animal rights abuses in the Middle East.

Dear Spencer,

Your email came as a bit of surprise as I just went to Iraq some weeks ago because of this chimpanzee. I had a meeting with the KRG Minister of Agriculture and am still following up . . .

In his email, Jason explained that he had been on the case of Manno and his mysterious “brother” in Erbil since October 2013, ever since a couple of zoo visitors had notified him of two suspiciously young chimpanzees captive in Kurdistan. One Kurdish woman had sent him pictures of both chimps, which Jason attached to the email. There was Manno—even younger than he was when we met—and the other chimp, who was in terrible shape. Left in a tiny, concrete enclosure without shade from the scorching sun, he looked to be developing white rashes and losing his hair. The woman had complained to the Erbil mayor and then, when she returned to the zoo with a teddy bear and skin nourishment for the chimp, the ape was gone.

Whether Manno’s “brother” was in a better place or not was unknown. The zoo staff later claimed the chimp had been sent back to Syria, which seemed dubious at best. But it was enough for Jason to get started. His first inquiry with the prime minister’s office was quickly deflected to the tourism ministry, who said they weren’t authorized to help because zoos were private enterprises. Jason then tried the agriculture department, which acknowledged the existence of the two “monkeys” that came by smuggling.

By March 2014, we had a plan in place. Jason flew to Erbil to meet with the agriculture minister and, we hoped, Ramadan. The minister was receptive and open to changing zoo standards with Jason’s help. He admitted to knowing little about zoos in Kurdistan, but agreed that owners should improve conditions or else shut their doors. He even invited Jason to continue working with the Kurdish Regional Government to educate them on best practices for animal care.

The ministry claimed that Ramadan had never received permission to import an ape. In that case, Manno was “officially” under the control of the ministry, and they hoped Ramadan would release Manno on goodwill alone. If not, they would confiscate him.

“I asked when the confiscation could take place and if it is possible on this visit,” Jason told me over the phone using WhatsApp late one evening. “The minister said, ‘Do not wait until tomorrow—do it today or the chimpanzee might disappear.’ ” Jason thanked the minister and agreed to return the next day with Manno.

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