The baby spider monkey discovered this week by the California Highway Patrol is in critical condition with malnutrition, skin and coat problems, and an upper respiratory tract infection. But Auckland Zoo is hopeful the brave young primate will make a full recovery.
Zoo officials say the baby monkey is being kept in a humid environment to treat an upper respiratory infection, and is being given fluids and adequate food.
The veterinarian is conducting tests to determine whether her skin condition is due to malnutrition or an infection. On Saturday, he will undergo anesthesia and tests to fully assess his health and check for loss of bone density due to malnutrition.
“Veterinary staff considers her to be in critical condition and expects her to recover,” officials wrote in an update on the animal.
It is illegal to keep primates as pets in California, and the poor conditions of the young spider monkeys are a prime example of this, zoo officials said.
Auckland Zoo said in a statement: “Baby primates like this spider monkey are poached from the wild and kept inhumanely as pets, with most of them not living to see their first birthday.” Even the best pet owners are not qualified to care for the complex needs of exotic and wild animals kept as pets.
CHP officers discovered the monkey during a bizarre traffic stop in Madera County Monday night.
Officers pulled over a Rolls-Royce Ghost that was speeding northbound on Highway 99 and found a small costumed monkey, a large amount of marijuana and five cell phones inside. I was stunned.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, possession of an exotic animal, and possession of marijuana for sale. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife sent the monkey to the Oakland Zoo for emergency treatment and rehabilitation.
On Monday, California Highway Patrol troopers stopped a speeding Rolls-Royce Ghost on northbound Highway 99 north of 17th Avenue.
(CHP Madera)
Once the monkey has fully recovered, the zoo will work with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Confiscation Network to find a home in an accredited zoo or sanctuary, where it can grow up among other spider monkey populations. It’s planned.
The zoo estimates the monkey’s age to be 5 to 6 months old. Staff are still trying to come up with a suitable name for her that honors her species and homeland.
Spider monkeys are an endangered species that lives in the rainforests of Central and South America, from Mexico to Bolivia. The poaching and black market trade of these monkeys poses a serious threat to their survival, the zoo said.
“Wildlife trafficking is a conservation crisis and is driving countless animals to extinction,” Auckland Zoo chief executive Nick Dehesia said in a statement. “Innocent creatures suffer being torn from their natural habitats and family groups, only to be exploited for entertainment, personal enjoyment, and profit.”
The costumed spider monkey was seized by the California Highway Patrol and temporarily held by Madera County Animal Services until it was transported to the Oakland Zoo for rehabilitation.
(Madera County Animal Services)
In the wild, baby spider monkeys are raised by their mothers for the first two years of their lives, said Capt. Nathan Smith of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He said owners of illegal pets often underestimate their need for milk and feed them unsuitable solid foods instead.
Unfortunately, he added, the illegal pet trade is growing, not just in California but across the country.
Officials say the Oakland Zoo has received more than 100 requests to rescue and care for victims of wildlife trafficking since 2021. This includes caring for animals such as lions, tigers, gibbons, macaws, chimpanzees, parrots, goats, sheep, rabbits, and reptiles.
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