A man was found within the Mexico City International Airport with 18 Titi monkeys strapped around his torso. Much like other endangered species, Titi monkeys are traded on the black market for high profit. The smuggler was discovered and arrested by the airport police. The smuggler, Roberto Zavaleta Sol Cabrera, stood to make over $ 27,000 in profit if he had sold the monkeys.
Airport police discover smuggled Titi monkeys
Police saw someone who looked very “nervous” when they were in the Mexico City International Airport.” Sol Cabrera was apparently trying to “conceal a large lump in his jumpsuit.” The police were curious at his actions, and they discovered the 18 Titi monkeys under his clothes. Stuffed into socks and strapped to his waist, two of the monkeys had already died. The claim of the smuggler is that he transported the monkeys like this to “protect them from x-ray scanners.”
The basics of the Titi monkey
The Titi monkey is a tiny monkey native to South America. The 10 to 22 inch monkeys are known for their long, soft fur. Territorial and familial, the monkeys eat fruits, leaves, flowers, insects, bird eggs and other small creatures. The Titi monkey is a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The Mexico government also heavily restricts the import of monkeys. Despite these restrictions, trade in primates as pets is big business, especially in Mexico.
Big profit for black market animals
The black market in animals is sadly 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. The monkeys would have been sold for $ 3,000 or more within the United States. The black market trade in animals is very dangerous for the pet buyers and also the animals, but is proving very difficult to quash.
