Zoo takes monkey from drug raid
The monkey seized from a rural Columbia County residence earlier this week in a drugs and weapons raid has been turned over to a zoo.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation on Friday confirmed the handover days after State Police seized the capuchin monkey from the home on Rigor Hill Road, resulting in several drugs and weapons counts for Gary M. Wood.
Officials declined to provide additional information, including where Wood acquired the primate.
Authorities also discovered 59 firearms, including 16 assault rifles and two handguns, as well as 17.7 grams of cocaine and $3,250 in cash.
The monkey was in good condition when turned over to the DEC, police said.
James P. Gibbs, a wildlife expert and professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said while it’s difficult to offer a diagnosis based on a single photo, the monkey appeared to be healthy based on body weight, with no hair loss characterized by extreme stress.
Yet there may be psychological impacts from being kept in captivity, and the primate's future remains studded with potential complications.
While known for roles in movies and association with street performers, capuchin are not domesticated and are creatures of the wild.
“They live every moment of their lives in large groups, all working together and working in the forest finding things to eat,” Gibbs said. “The antithesis of that is leaving one of those primates in a cage.”
The state is in a tricky spot when seizing wild monkeys because capuchins are not local, Gibbs said, and cannot simply be released into the wild like endangered turtles or trapped deer, nor does the state have a long-term care facility for monkeys.
“It’s a huge burden for the state to take control of these confiscated animals,” Gibbs said. “It’s a very difficult problem for the state and for the animal.”
And since the species is not endangered, it can be difficult to find zoos that will accept them, he said.
Gibbs was heartened that the monkey was successfully placed, but cautioned challenges remain, including keeping the primate, which is technically now considered evidence, healthy.
“But it’s good news,” Gibbs said.
State environmental conservation law says it is illegal to obtain, sell, or possess any primate as a pet in New York.
Therefore, DEC does not have any estimates of how many may be being held as such.
DEC said the outcome for each animal can differ and the “top priority” in relocating seized wildlife is finding the best placement possible.
The state doesn't take a one-size-fits-all approach. Some animals can also be placed with approved wildlife rehabilitation specialists, while others require special care facilities.
“Each case is unique and adjudicated based on the facts of the case,” said a DEC spokesperson on Friday.
Return to private ownership, whether by Wood or a willing volunteer, was not in the cards.
Keeping a wild animal as a pet is a violation of state Environmental Conservation Law, for which Wood was charged.
While once trained as service animals, attitudes have shifted in recent years, with the Americans with Disabilities Act restricting that designation to dogs only beginning in 2011.
Authorities continue to remain mum on the details underpinning what led Wood to allegedly amass an arsenal, only to say the raid was sparked by an investigation that remains ongoing.
Wood, 52, was arraigned Thursday on multiple felony drug and weapons charges, including 10 counts of third-degree criminal possession of an assault weapon and third-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
Wood, who was released from Columbia County Jail on Thursday after posting $50,000 bond, didn’t return phone calls seeking comment.