Italian police rescued a young chimpanzee from dire conditions in a private home on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Italian Carabinieri reported yesterday that the three-year-old chimpanzee was tied up, injured, and held in a dark cage. It appears the owner had smuggled the young animal from Malta to Italy and kept it in his apartment. The chimpanzee was tethered by a two-meter chain and was found to have a serious injury near its thigh. The animal was initially taken to Rome Zoo, where specialists are now attempting to rehabilitate it gradually. However, police stated it is unlikely the chimpanzee will be released back into the wild in the future. The animal was also likely a victim of a lucrative trade in rare animals, a trade that threatens biodiversity. A search of the apartment, located near Syracuse, also revealed an illegally kept parrot.