Poachers Rip Baby Spider Monkeys from Mothers, Smuggle Them as Pets Across U.S. Border

In the past 18 months, U.S. wildlife officials have confiscated nearly 90 baby spider monkeys at the Texas-Mexico border, a fraction of the total being smuggled into the country as exotic pets. Poachers in the forests of southern Mexico are shooting mother spider monkeys out of trees, stealing their infants who cling to their backs.

The spike in spider monkey trafficking is driven in part by viral videos showing the animals dressed up and treated like human babies. While these clips may look cute, experts warn they glamorize illegal pet ownership and fail to show the horrific conditions the monkeys endure. Traffickers smuggle the infants in tiny compartments with no food or water, and many arrive sick, injured, or clinging to life.

Authorities are racing to save the surviving spider monkeys, which are brought to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas. But one facility can't handle the scale of the problem, so the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is working to place the rescued monkeys at other accredited facilities nationwide. Wildlife officials hope that by exposing the brutal reality of the spider monkey black market, people will be deterred from purchasing these exotic pets.