A man was found in the Mexico City International Airport with 18 Titi monkeys strapped around his torso. These monkeys, much like many other endangered species, are traded on the black market for high profit margins. Police in the Mexico City International Airport discovered the Titi monkeys and arrested the smuggler. If Roberto Zavaleta Sol Cabrera had actually sold the Titi monkeys he was trying to smuggle, he would have made $ 27,000 or more.
Titi monkeys smuggled through airport
When patrolling the airport, police saw a man who “was acting very nervous.” Roberto Zavaleta Sol Cabrera was “trying to conceal a large lump in his jumpsuit.” Police were very curious, and they found the monkeys. Two of the monkeys that had been stuffed into socks had already died. The claim of the smuggler is that he transported the monkeys like this to “protect them from x-ray scanners.”
About the Titi monkey
The Titi monkey is a tiny monkey native to South America. Between 10 and 22 inches long, the monkeys have long, soft fur. Territorial and familial, the monkeys eat fruits, leaves, flowers, insects, bird eggs and other small creatures. The Titi monkey is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Titi monkeys are also heavily regulated by the Mexican government. The trade in primates as pets is big in Mexico, despite these restrictions.
Big profit for black market animals
The black market in animals is regrettably a thriving trade. The smuggler caught in Mexico City spent about $ 30 each to buy the Titi monkeys. If Roberto had sold the monkeys in Mexico City, they would are worth $ 1,550 each. Within the United States, the monkeys would have been sold to pet stores or collectors for $ 3,000 or more. The pet buyers and animals are both put in severe danger by the pet trade.
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