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. If Roberto Zavaleta Sol Cabrera had actually sold the Titi monkeys he was trying to smuggle, he would have made $ 27,000 or more.
Smuggled Titi monkeys found in Mexico City airport
In the Mexico City International Airport, airport police spotted a man who looked “very nervous.” Sol Cabrera was apparently trying to “conceal a large lump in his jumpsuit.” This raised the curiosity of police, and they discovered 18 Titi monkeys under his clothes. Two of the monkeys, stuffed into socks and strapped to the man’s waist, had already died. .”
Who the Titi monkey is
Native to South America, the Titi monkey is actually a family of small primates. The monkeys are known for their very 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 sadly a thriving trade. The Titi monkeys found within the Mexico City Airport were purchased for about $ 30 apiece. If Roberto had managed to sell the monkeys, they would have sold for as much as $ 1,550 apiece. Within the United States, the monkeys would are sold to pet stores or collectors for $ 3,000 or more. The black market trade in animals is very dangerous for the pet buyers and the animals, but is proving very difficult to quash.
