Like many other white-faced capuchins kept on chains in Nicaragua, Valerio's mother was most likely killed. Many people want monkeys as pets until they realize how much difficulty this actually presents. Consequently, unless rescued and properly integrated in a social group with other monkeys, they can spend years in solitude on a chain, which can wreck a monkey's psychology, rendering them full of neuroses like rocking and self-mutilating. Fortunately, Valerio was taken to a proper place to undergo rehabilitation.