After being adopted from Ikea by Story Book Farm sanctuary on December 9, the “Ikea monkey,” Darwin, is being kept from his owners under the allegation that he was put through various forms of abuse. The alleged abuse includes strangulation, striking Darwin in the face and head and hitting him with a wooden spoon; forcing Darwin to live in a small dog crate; not changing his diaper for up to three days; failing to provide veterinary care and proper food; and permitting other family members to physically abuse Darwin.

The owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, claims that standard training of the monkey has been twisted into abuse. She says that she originally adopted Darwin because of the dealer’s way of treating the monkey, realizing that abuse was part of his upbringing. The dealer came to Nakhuda’s home to teach her how to “physically abuse Darwin to ensure that he compiled with her wishes.” As Nakhuda had seen in a YouTube video which prompted her to look for a Japanese macaque pet, he was treated as a servant. This resulted in her paying the $10,000 price for the monkey, in order to remove him from an abusive situation.

However, a statement of defence filed by the sanctuary in Ontario Superior Court in Oshawa claims that Darwin experienced abuse under the care of Nakhuda, and the monkey will remain in their posession until a judgement is made. The judge ruled that Nakhuda should be able to visit Darwin in the meantime, but she refused to accept the sanctuary’s conditions of a supervised visit during which she would remain outside Darwin’s enclosure.

[via Toronto Star]