El Paso Zoo, CBP rescue two baby spider monkeys

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens helped rescue two baby spider monkeys after they were found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The zoo says the monkeys are both between four to eight weeks old, and were found confined and in poor health during a search at a U.S. port of entry. The zoo's staff provided the malnourished monkeys food, formula, and warm shelter until they were nursed back to health.

After the infant monkeys recovered, the zoo handed them off to the Mexican Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection.

“Removing these animals from illegal trade is vital,” said Joe Montisano, El Paso Zoo Director. “By doing so, we disrupt the financial incentives driving wildlife trafficking. This rescue also highlights the dangers of keeping monkeys as pets—while they may seem manageable as infants, they often become dangerous and difficult to care for as they mature.”