Utah’s Hogle Zoo welcomes two young spider monkeys rescued from illegal wildlife trafficking
Meet Hogle Zoo’s newest residents, Romina and Eve, two young Mexican spider monkeys who were confiscated from wildlife traffickers.
Romina and Eve moved to Salt Lake from Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Spider Monkey Species Survival Plan (SSP) and the Wildlife Confiscation Network, which helps place confiscated animals with organizations that can meet their specialized care needs.
Meet Romina: Estimated to be about two years old, Romina is the bigger and more confident of the two. She’s often first to investigate her environment, exploring enrichment with curiosity and even a little mischief!
Meet Eve: Estimated to be about one year old, Eve is smaller and more reserved. Fruit is one of Eve’s favorites, though she enjoys a variety of foods.
A Second Chance
Eve and Romina were confiscated at the border after they were taken from their natural habitat. Young spider monkeys are especially vulnerable to wildlife trafficking because demand for babies is growing.
“Our colleagues at the Gladys Porter Zoo performed the initial round-the-clock work required to save these infants immediately following their confiscation at the border, treating their initial trauma, medical needs, and hand-rearing them. Our role now is to welcome them into their permanent home, integrate them into an appropriate social troop, and ensure they continue to thrive,” shares Clair Hallyburton, Associate Director of Animal Care.
In addition to leading care for Hogle Zoo’s primates, Hallyburton serves within the Spider Monkey SSP as the studbook keeper and Vice Coordinator for the Robust Black spider monkey population. “As young, confiscated spider monkeys come into the population under human care, the SSP has been working to find homes for these young that will meet their social needs and lifelong wellbeing,” shares Hallyburton.
From birth to about two years old, infant spider monkeys rely on their mother and are rarely separated, riding piggyback as they move through the forest. Often, poachers may kill mothers to capture the infants or harm other troop members who try to protect the young.
Their journey from their natural habitat can also be traumatic. They may be concealed in bags or cars, exposing them to disease, dehydration, malnutrition, and injury. Each infant removed from its natural habitat is critical because spider monkeys give birth to one infant at a time, further threatening an endangered population. For orphaned animals like Eve and Romina, being separated from their mothers at a young age can have lifelong consequences.
Animal Care in Action: Preparing a New Home
When Romina and Eve first arrived at Primate Forest, their care team’s top priority was making them feel safe, secure, and truly at home. To help the youngsters settle in, keepers focused first on building trust. They encouraged Romina and Eve to take food from their hands comfortably and guided them as they learned to navigate between their new spaces.
Once that bond formed, the pair felt confident enough to begin exploring their new indoor spaces. The team also added more perching options so the monkeys can climb higher, along with additional vines that encourage them to move through their habitat in ways that reflect their natural behaviors.
Howdy, Lemon and Ebony
As Romina and Eve settled in, they had opportunities to get to know resident spider monkeys Lemon and Ebony. “They were able to see and smell the girls as soon as they came to Primate Forest,” shares Comstock. “We watched their behavior as well as the girls’ behavior to determine how they are feeling about one another.”
Once Romina and Eve felt comfortable, their care team introduced them to Lemon and Ebony through a process called a “howdy.” During these introductions, the monkeys occupy neighboring spaces separated by mesh, allowing them to see, smell, hear, and eventually touch one another while their care team monitors them.
Meet Lemon: Lemon (Central American spider monkey) can be spunky and active. You may see him swinging from branch to branch or relaxing in a sunny spot! Lemon sustained a hand injury several years ago that was allowed to heal naturally under his care team’s observation. Today, he shows no indication that it causes him pain or limits his ability to move and engage in natural behaviors.
Meet Ebony: Estimated to be about 50 years old, Ebony (robust black spider monkey) is very vocal and enjoys attention from guests and staff. She has a history of allergies that sometimes result in hair loss. Her care team provides allergy treatment during voluntary training, supplemental fish oil, and monitors her daily for any discomfort.
More recently, the four monkeys began sharing indoor spaces and have interacted positively. Their care team will continue to let the monkeys’ behavior and comfort guide the next steps as the group gets to know one another.
Primates Aren’t Pets
Lemon and Ebony both spent part of their early lives as pets in private homes before coming to Hogle Zoo in 1978 and 1977, respectively. As surrendered pets, they may also have missed maternal care and the chance to learn skills from other monkeys. They tend to spend more time closer to the ground, swing less, and form stronger attachments to their caregivers. As two of Hogle Zoo’s beloved senior residents, their stories show the lifelong commitment required to care for primates who have experienced private ownership.
Monkeys don’t make good pets. They are strong, intelligent, social animals with specialized diets, complex relationships, and needs that a typical human home cannot provide. Once they become sexually mature, they can become territorial, unpredictable, and aggressive, causing people to surrender them to authorities. They can also live for decades. Despite possible intentions, many exotic pet owners realize too late that they can’t afford the space, care costs, or other financial obligations of housing wild animals as pets.
Today, social media has made exotic pets easier to see and, in some cases, easier to buy. Videos and photos that present young monkeys as cute, cuddly pets can make wildlife ownership seem harmless while increasing demand for animals taken from the wild.
What you can do: You can help discourage the illegal wildlife trade by being thoughtful about the animal content you support online.
- Think before you like. Your engagement can make exotic, often illegal, pets more popular.
- Think before you click. Your activity can influence what platforms recommend to other people.
- Think before you share. Sharing can increase the reach of content that promotes wild animals as pets.
If an online photo or video shows a wild animal dressed up, kept like a pet, or used for photos, consider reporting the content to the social media platform.
Learn More
Wildlife trafficking is one of the largest illegal businesses in the world, which is why law enforcement, conservation organizations, wildlife professionals, and communities work together to stop it.
Certain wild animals are prohibited or heavily regulated in international trade. Because of their complex needs, many state, county, and city ordinances prohibit ownership of wild or exotic animals as pets.
- The Wildlife Trafficking Alliance “Not a Pet” campaign highlights why exotic animals, including spider monkeys, don’t make good pets. Visit notapet.net to learn more.
- Read more about AZA’s coordinated work and how zoos help: Confiscations: A Lifeline of Care for Confiscated Spider Monkeys and Caring for Confiscated Wildlife.
- Contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tips line at fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips for suspected wildlife crimes.
Utah's Hogle Zoo
