Justin Bieber's monkey Mally could end up spending months in a German animal shelter after the singer was given an extension to sort out the paperwork needed to get the animal back.
The animal was confiscated by customs officials in Munich as Bieber flew in from LA to perform a series of concerts. Now the pop star is trying to get his pet back.
Mally, a capuchin monkey, was given to the singer for his 19th birthday last month from music producer Jamal 'Mally Mal' Rashid. He had been taken away from his mother when he was only nine weeks old.
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Justin Bieber, pictured with Mally the capuchin monkey, has been given an extension to complete paperwork to get his pet back
Mally the monkey is now in quarantine at a German animal shelter
The capuchin monkey, taken from its mother at nine weeks, is treating a cuddly toy as its surrogate parent
Bieber and his monkey...
Normally capuchin monkeys remain with their mothers for at least the first year of their life.
He is now in quarantine in a Munich animal sanctuary where his only companion is a cuddly toy that he treats as a surrogate mother.
Mally also spends his time repeatedly calling out in the hope of finding other members of his family group - something which animal shelter boss Karl Heinz Joachim, 64, described as 'heartbreaking'.
He said: 'Justin Bieber has won an extension because the four week limit on confiscated animals only applies if the owner does not get in touch.
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'However his management team had been in touch and indicated that they want the monkey back which means they now have as much time as they need to get the paperwork ready.
'If that takes months then it's months that they have. But that just isn't acceptable for the baby monkey needs company and to be with other monkeys at this crucial age in its life.
'We'll appeal to the star to do the decent thing and let the monkey be free for adoption.
The boss of the Munich animal shelter asked Bieber to do 'the decent thing' and let the animal be adopted
Mally spends his time repeatedly calling in the hope of finding other members of his family group, animal shelter staff said
'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 is not something suitable to be on a world tour even if he is travelling by private jet.
'He should be out in the wild climbing trees and learning from other monkeys if he isn't to have serious psychological problems later in life.'
A source familiar with the situation told MailOnline: 'There are ongoing discussions to ensure the best conditions for the monkey.'
A German customs spokesman said at the time of the confiscation that Bieber lacked documents certifying compliance with animal health and species-protection regulations.
Joachim said if it took months to sort out the paperwork and all that time was spent in a cage it would do irreparable damage to the monkey's mental state.
He said if Bieber were to refuse to allow the monkey to be adopted by a suitable organisation then the only hope lay with the Bavarian environment ministry.
However the Ministry has so far declined to comment on the case.