Rare monkeys remain at zoo as wasta brews

KUWAIT: Thirty-eight monkeys from South America that were smuggled into Kuwait around 10 days ago are currently quarantined at the zoo, amid reports that the ‘importer’ is trying to retrieve them surreptitiously. According to a source at the zoo, these are New World monkeys including capuchin and squirrel monkeys. These monkeys are listed as endangered animals according to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), so they are banned from being imported according to local and international laws.

“They will be kept in the quarantine for 21 days until we receive results of the medical tests we did to make sure they are free of any contagious diseases, especially those that can be transferred to humans. As these animals were imported illegally, they don’t have any health certificates, so they could be sick,” explained the source.

An anonymous source told Kuwait Times that these monkeys are kept clandestinely at the zoo so they can be quietly released by the smuggler, but the zoo source insisted this isn’t possible.

He said the monkeys are in four or five large cages, and the zoo is guarded by 24-hour security, so nothing can leave the zoo undetected. He however acknowledged

that illegal importers usually try to find wasta to help them release illegal animals.

No decision has yet been taken regarding the monkeys. “After we get the results of the tests, the zoo administration will decide what to do with them. Maybe we will correspond with the authorities in the country of origin to ship the monkeys back there, and the costs will be paid by the smuggler. Or the administration may decide to keep them at the zoo. Although we have limited space, we can somehow find a suitable place for them here if we have to keep them,” he concluded.