California Highway Patrol officers were floored by the “next level monkey business” they discovered inside a speeding Rolls-Royce Ghost in Madera County on Monday night: five cellphones, four large containers of weed and a 1-month-old spider monkey wearing a onesie.
Not only is it illegal to own primates as pets in California, but it’s also especially dangerous to own a baby spider monkey, experts say. The young primates, which are endangered, require constant supervision and skilled care to survive.
The driver of the luxury vehicle — which retails new starting at more than $350,000 — was pulled over for speeding northbound on California 99 north of Avenue 17 near the city of Madera, according to the CHP. He was then arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, possession of an exotic animal and possession of cannabis for sale.
As for the suspect, he was identified as Ali Mused Adel Mohamed and booked at the county Jail, a spokesperson for the Madera County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
As for the monkey? He has a new home and a new nickname.
On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought the monkey to the Oakland Zoo, which specializes in providing sanctuary and care for exotic animals confiscated across the state. These include African lions, tigers, gibbons, macaws, chimpanzees, parrots, goats, sheep, rabbits, reptiles and more.
“We really want to deter people from participating in the pet trade like this, because it’s clearly illegal and it’s not good for animals to be raised with unqualified care,” said Fish and Wildlife Capt. Nathan Smith. “Many of the spider monkeys we see are malnourished due to a lack of understanding of dietary and medical needs.”
In the wild, spider monkeys are taken care of by their mother for their first two years of life, he said. People who take them as illegal pets often underestimate the level of constant attention they need and fail to give them enough milk, he said.
Smith said the illegal trade of exotic animals, including spider monkeys, is a growing problem in California.
The confiscated monkey is now in the care of skilled zookeepers, but officers initially found themselves in a predicament Monday night after making the arrest and realizing there was nowhere open to bring the monkey.
The arresting officer valiantly volunteered to take the primate home and care for it overnight.
On Tuesday morning, he dropped the monkey off at Madera County Animal Services, where staff nicknamed the monkey Marcel after Ross Geller’s pet monkey in the sitcom “Friends.”
Amy Toler, director of Madera County Animal Services, spent Monday morning caring for the monkey while waiting for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to come pick it up.
Marcel is the first spider monkey confiscated in Madera County, Toler said, so she phoned the nearby Fresno Chaffee Zoo and asked for advice on the monkey’s care.
“It was just a matter of keeping the monkey warm against me with a blanket,” she said. “We fed it mashed banana and gave it water. It did have a diaper that was changed.”
Toler said she enjoyed her quiet morning swaddling the monkey and was happy it would receive the care it needs at the Oakland Zoo.
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