The East Bay’s foremost zoological center is rehabilitating a confiscated spider monkey that’s taken the internet’s heart — and the primate now has a name, too.
A young spider monkey was discovered by police when Maldera County police pulled over a speeding Rolls Royce on December 30th. The viral primate—which has since been cheekily nicknamed the “Rolls Royce monkey” by the internet—was transferred to the Oakland Zoo the following day; the driver was arrested on-site for a suspected DUI and possession of a large amount of cannabis.
Zoo staff immediately noticed that the spider monkey was in dire need of care, arriving malnourished and with a presumptive respiratory infection. Nearly two weeks after arriving at the East Bay wildlife center, not only is the young primate doing better, but it — (she!) — has a name now.
“[The monkey[ is still thin with muscle loss, which will take time to correct,” the Oakland Zoo shares on Instagram, giving a much-wanted update on the lil’ primate that’s since gone viral. “She is eating well and her organ functions look good, but protein and calcium levels are low due to her malnourished state.”
As for her name? “[The] little rescue now has a name — Azules, named after the Montes Azules Biosphere Preserve in Chiapas, Mexico, honoring the heart of the rainforest and home to the Mexican spider monkey.”
Azules represents an all too common problem with illegal exotic pet ownership, particularly among primates, which are illegal to own in private collections in California. These human-like animals require specific care requirements that exist far outside the realm of experienced animal keepers, let alone novices (like the driver who acquired Azules). If Azule wasn’t confiscated by police and sent to the Oakland Zoo for critical care, she would’ve certainly died.
Though the Oakland Zoo has the expertise to properly care for and temporarily house Azuel, the zoo is working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Wildice Confiscate Network to find her a permanent home. (Spider monkeys are incredibly social creatures and do best when they’re part of a “troop” of other spider monkeys; the Oakland Zoo currently maintains only Azules.)
Whenever she does find her next home, the zoo will remain steadfast in thwarting these outcomes birthed from the illegal pet trade — “[the] Oakland Zoo is dedicated to reducing the number of inappropriate and illegal pet cases like Azules.”
