3 Rescued Baby Spider Monkeys Find a New Home at the San Diego Zoo
After five long months, a trio of spider monkeys confiscated at the Calexico-Mexicali border are now in the hands of wildlife specialists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in California. The monkeys, who were saved from an animal trafficking scheme back in August, are now thriving.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers first found the three monkeys at the Calexico West Port of Entry.
As Fox 5 reports, two of the monkeys were boys and one was a girl. They are specifically subspecies of Geoffroy’s spider monkey and are considered an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Related: Baby Spider Monkey and His Canine Sibling Are the Most Adorable Besties
The trio were only 2 months old when they were snatched from their native habitat and were part of a plan to smuggle them across the border. When authorities found them, they were malnourished and needed to be observed for several months. All three had lethargy and mobility issues too.
The animals were brought to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services where they were ultimately quarantined for a few months. Now, after several months of treatment, they are finally thriving. They were brought to the San Diego Zoo where they've started their new life.
In a video the zoo shared on January 24, it showed the monkeys playing in their new enclosure.
"These animals are not pets. Don't support illegal wildlife trafficking," a voiceover warned.
What is Wildlife Trafficking?
Wildlife trafficking, or poaching, is a rapidly growing market, with things like bushmeat, ingredients for Eastern medicine, exotic pets, ivory, and furs becoming higher in demand. Illicit wildlife trafficking nets an estimated $7.8 billion to $10 billion per year.
Animals are usually trafficked by an international network of poachers, who can sell them at high prices. Traffickers can often squeak through the legal system thanks to poorly enforced laws, corruption, and weak judicial systems that don't keep poachers at bay. Oftentimes these individuals are low-income locals who end up getting jail time, while others who are masterminding the plan remain safe.
But aside from hurting or injuring an animal, there is a real cost to everyone when traffickers succeed. Animals that are frequently trafficked are pushed to the edge of extinction. This can also ruin their native ecosystems. Without a certain species to keep the ecosystem in check it can throw other species off-balance and in the worst of cases can cause those species to be in peril.
This story has a happy ending, but it's important to raise awareness about animal trafficking so that all animals everywhere remain safe.
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