The Oakland Zoo is still caring for a baby spider monkey, weeks after it was rescued.
The six-month-old monkey, named Azules by zoo staff, was found suffering from malnourishment, an upper respiratory infection, as well as an abnormal skin and coat infection, according to an update on the Oakland Zoo website.
Azules is now on track to full recovery. As seen in a video sent to the Montera Matador from the Oakland Zoo, Azules is happily climbing trees and doing normal spider monkey activity.
“Azules is bright, alert, and active. She is still thin and has muscle loss, which will take time to correct,” said Dr. Alex Herman, VP of veterinary services at the Oakland Zoo. “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 currently working with the AZA Species Survival Plan and Wildlife Confiscations Network to find Azules to a new home with a social group of spider monkeys to adopt her.
On New Years Eve, California Highway Patrol in Madera county pulled over Ali Mused Adel Mohamid for a suspected DUI. In his car they found a baby spider monkey smuggled into California through animal trafficking.
After getting pulled over, they found large amounts of cannabis, five cell phones, and Azules, the spider monkey all from Mohamid’s car.
It is illegal to own monkeys as pets in California. There is a high global demand for illegal animals, resulting in animal trafficking, which is how a spider monkey (Azules) was brought into California. The Oakland Zoo has had over 100 plus requests to aid animal victims of trafficking since 2021. In a statement from an update on Azules, Nik Dehejia, CEO of the Oakland Zoo commented “Wildlife trafficking is a conservation crisis, driving countless animals toward extinction. Innocent creatures suffer, torn from their natural habitats and family groups, only to be exploited for entertainment, personal enjoyment, or profit. This cruel practice not only harms them but devastates ecosystems and humanity alike.”