Culiacán Rosales, Sinaloa — Two spider monkeys rescued from Bacalar have been given new homes in the state of Sinaloa.
Zoo director, Diego García Heredia says the Culiacán Zoo in Sinaloa has officially presented their two newest members. The two spider monkeys were seized after being found used for tourist opportunities in the town of Bacalar in the south of Quintana Roo.
García Heredia explained that the two monkeys were seized from humans who were using them for commercialization and it is due to that coexistence that they could not be released into the wild.
“This type of species cannot be returned to the wild because they were already in contact with humans. They were already influenced by humans. They already had some customs, they no longer had their natural behavior to be able to survive in the wild,” said García Heredia.
The two monkeys were relocated to the state of Sinaloa from Quintana Roo through the management of the Association of Zoos, Hatcheries and Aquariums of Mexico (Azcarm).
“It is by the management of Azcarm that the zoo manages to house these two specimens of spider monkeys in its facilities, and thus promote the conservation of the species. They represent something very important for the species,” said the zoo director.
The two spider monkeys were cared for in a shelter for two months before being transferred to their new home in Sinaloa. The director noted that the monkeys were not “in the best condition” when they were seized, “however now, they are in top physical and behavioral health.”
