California Highway Patrol troopers got a surprise Monday night when they discovered “next-level monkey business” inside a speeding Rolls-Royce Ghost in Madera County: five cell phones, four large containers of marijuana and a one-month-old spider monkey wearing a onesie.
Experts say not only is it illegal to keep primates as pets in California, but raising baby spider monkeys is also particularly dangerous. These endangered juvenile primates require constant supervision and skilled care to survive.
A suspect was arrested Monday night near Madera on suspicion of drunken driving.
(California Highway Patrol)
The driver of the luxury vehicle, which had a new retail value of more than $350,000, was pulled over for speeding on California Highway 99 north of 17th Avenue near Madera, according to the CHP. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, possessing an exotic animal and possessing marijuana for sale.
A spokesperson for the Madera County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the suspect was identified as Ali Mused Adel Muhammad and was being held at the county jail.
As for the monkey? He has a new home and a new nickname.
A drunk driving suspect was allegedly found in possession of marijuana after he was pulled over near Madera on Monday night.
(California Highway Patrol)
On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought the monkey to the Oakland Zoo, which provides shelter 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 bad for the animals to be kept under substandard care,” Fish and Wildlife Capt. Nathan Smith said. “Many of the spider monkeys we see are malnourished due to a lack of understanding of diet and medical needs.”
In the wild, spider monkeys are cared for by their mothers for the first two years of their lives, he said. He said those who considered them illegal pets often underestimated the amount of constant attention they required and failed to give them enough milk.
Smith said the illegal trade in exotic animals, including spider monkeys, is a growing problem in California.
The confiscated monkey is now in the care of skilled zookeepers, but on Monday night police initially found themselves in limbo after arresting the monkey and realizing they had nowhere to take it.
The arresting officer bravely volunteered to take the primate home and care for it overnight.
On Tuesday morning, he took the monkey to Madera County Animal Services, where staff nicknamed the monkey “Marcel” after Ross Geller’s pet monkey on the sitcom “Friends.”
Amy Toler takes care of Marcel, an illegal exotic pet.
(Madera County Animal Services)
Madera County Animal Services Director Amy Toler cared for the monkey Monday morning while waiting for Fish and Wildlife to pick it up.
Toler said Marcel was the first spider monkey to be confiscated in Madera County, so she called the nearby Fresno Chaffee Zoo for advice on caring for the monkey.
“It was just a matter of keeping the monkey warm on top of me with a blanket,” she said. “We gave him mashed bananas and water. He did have a diaper.
Toler said she enjoyed the quiet morning swaddling the monkey and was glad it was getting the care it needed at the Oakland Zoo.
