Monkey Man's son allowed to keep family pet
Just one day after the funeral of 'Monkey Man' Chan Yat-biu, his son was yesterday granted a government licence to keep the family's pet, Kam Ying.
'It is a joy for both me and Kam Ying, and I guess she knows it as well,' said Chan's son, Chan Yiu-wing. 'I will buy some good fruit for her and we'll celebrate together.'
Conservation officers rang Mr Chan yesterday morning saying they had decided to issue a licence for him to keep the eight-year-old rhesus monkey - adding, however, that his case would be an exception.
On hearing the news, Mr Chan, 51, who is single, immediately went to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department headquarters in Cheung Sha Wan to sign the documents.
Under laws governing wild animals and endangered species in Hong Kong, it is illegal to possess and rear monkeys unless a special permit is granted by the government.
'We decided to issue a licence to Mr Chan as the monkey has been reared by a human for years and it is impossible to return her to the wild,' a department spokesman said.
'She has also developed a close companionship with Mr Chan, who actually took care of the animal in the past two years.'
The spokesman stressed that the decision was a 'rare exception' and not a precedent for others.
He said department staff visited Mr Chan's home last Saturday and were satisfied with the situation.
The licence, the same as the previous one granted to Mr Chan's father four years ago, has to be renewed every two years and sets out conditions, which if violated may lead to the animal's confiscation.
Under the conditions, Kam Ying should be examined by veterinarians twice a year, her abode should be hygienic and safe, and the monkey should not cause a public nuisance.
The department will continue to loan a cage more than 2 metres high to Mr Chan for his 300 sqft Kowloon City home.
Kam Ying was reared by herbal medicine hawker Chan Yat-biu and helped him entertain people as he promoted his wares on the street.
In 2000, the monkey was confiscated by conservation officers because she was being kept without a licence. A court ruling later ordered her return.
The Monkey Man was subsequently granted a licence and became the first person in Hong Kong to be allowed to keep a monkey.
