Oakland Zoo gives update on rescued baby monkey

(KRON) — A baby spider monkey who was rescued during a bizarre DUI traffic stop in California is recovering well at the Oakland Zoo, veterinarians said Friday. Zoo officials named the tiny monkey “Azules” in honor of the Montes Azules Biosphere Preserve in Chiapas, Mexico.

The preserve is deep within a rainforest where wild Mexican spider monkeys live. Zoo officials said poachers in Mexico kill mother monkeys so they can steal their babies and sell them as illegal exotic pets in California. The babies are often sold through social media marketplaces.

Last month, California Highway Patrol officers found Azules inside a Rolls Royce Ghost on Highway 99 in Madera County. The Rolls Royce driver was arrested for DUI and illegal possession of an exotic animal, the CHP said. The malnourished monkey was transported to Oakland.

Azules is still recovering at the Oakland Zoo Veterinary Hospital.

Dr. Herman, vice president of veterinary services at Oakland Zoo, said, “Azules is bright, alert, and active.  She is still thin and has muscle loss, which will take time to correct. Her upper respiratory infection is now resolved. She is following a healthy diet recommended by her nutritionist, and her organ function is good.”

The Oakland Zoo is working with the Wildlife Confiscations Network and the AZA Species Survival Plan to eventually move the monkey to an appropriate social group at a WCN participant institution.

Mexican spider monkeys are a highly endangered species. In California, it is illegal to own primates privately.

There is an underground world of primate ownership in the United States, where people find ways to obtain them, zoo officials said. Despite their cuteness as babies, monkeys do not make good pets, according to the Oakland Zoo.

Zoo officials explained, “Infants require constant care and need to be with their mothers and families. Primate infants, like this spider monkey, are being poached from the wild, and most don’t live to see their first birthday due to inhumane care as pets. People often surrender their spider monkeys to local authorities when they reach maturity and become aggressive.”

​(KRON) — A baby spider monkey who was rescued during a bizarre DUI traffic stop in California is recovering well at the Oakland Zoo, veterinarians said Friday. Zoo officials named the tiny monkey “Azules” in honor of the Montes Azules Biosphere Preserve in Chiapas, Mexico. The preserve is deep within a rainforest where wild Mexican […]