750,000 Dram Monkey for Sale in a Yerevan Store: Report

Musician and guitarist of the AlternatiV group, Karapet Burnazyan, reported yesterday that a monkey is being sold in a very cramped cage at a store called "Tsipoy's Paws" in the second district of Nor Nork, Yerevan. He argues that keeping an animal under such conditions is equivalent to torture.

In an interview with "Haykakan Zhamanak," Karapet revealed that he has seen several times the uncomfortable condition of the monkey and decided to seek a way to liberate it. Through a friend, they learned from the store owner that the animal could be purchased for 750,000 drams. "We thought about buying it and then taking it to some sanctuary or finding another option, but when they told us the price, we understood that buying the monkey at this moment is not realistic. Besides, there’s another point; my friend was told that price, while another guy was told that the animal is not for sale," he said.

According to him, the relevant authorities should take care of animal welfare and establish clear rules and criteria regarding what conditions are appropriate for keeping animals and whether certain animals can be kept in captivity at all. "It’s not normal to keep a monkey in such a small cage or apartment, let alone to talk about selling it," said Karapet Burnazyan.