California Highway Patrol officers were struck by “next-level monkey business” they found inside a speeding Rolls-Royce Ghost in Madera County Monday night: five cell phones, four large containers of weed and a one-month-old spider monkey in a onesie. .
Not only is it illegal to own pets in California, but it's also very dangerous to have a baby spider monkey, experts say. Small, vulnerable monkeys need constant monitoring and skilled care to survive.
The suspect was arrested on suspicion of DUI Monday night near Madera.
(California Highway Patrol)
The driver of the luxury car — which retails for more than $350,000 new — was pulled over for speeding northbound on California 99 north of Avenue 17 near downtown Madera, according to the CHP. He was then arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, possession of an unknown animal and possession of marijuana for sale.
As for the suspect, he was identified as Ali Mused Adel Mohamed and was arrested at the County Jail, a spokesman for the County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
As for the monkey? He has a new home and a new nickname.
Marijuana was allegedly found on a DUI suspect 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 specializes in providing sanctuary and caring for exotic animals taken from across the state. These include African lions, tigers, gibbons, macaws, chimpanzees, parrots, goats, sheep, rabbits, reptiles and more.
“We really want to prevent people from participating in the pet trade like this, because it is clearly illegal and wrong for animals to be raised with inappropriate care,” said Fish and Wildlife Captain, Nathan Smith. “Many of the spider monkeys we see are malnourished due to a lack of understanding of nutritional and medical needs.”
In the wild, spider monkeys are cared for by their mother for the first two years of life, he said. People who keep them as illegal pets often underestimate the amount of regular attention they need and fail to give them enough milk, he said.
Smith said the illegal trade in exotic animals, including spider monkeys, is a growing problem in California.
The seized monkey is now being looked after by skilled zookeepers, but the police first found themselves in trouble on Monday night after making the arrest and realizing that there was no place open to bring the monkey.
The arrested police officer bravely volunteered to take the monkey home and take care of it overnight.
On Tuesday morning, he dropped off the monkey at Madera County Animal Services, where staff nicknamed the monkey Marcel after Ross Geller's monkey from the sitcom “Friends.”
Amy Toler takes care of Marcel, an illegal pet.
(Madera County Animal Services)
Amy Toler, director of Madera County Animal Services, spent Monday morning caring for the monkey while she waited for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to come pick it up.
Marcel is the first spider monkey adopted in Madera County, Toler said, so he called the nearby Fresno Chaffee Zoo and asked for advice on caring for the monkey.
“It was just a matter of burning a monkey with a blanket,” he said. “We fed him mashed bananas and gave him water. It had a changed diaper.”
Toler said she enjoyed her quiet morning cuddling the monkey and is glad it will get the care it needs at the Oakland Zoo.
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