An Animal's Journey

Star is a Bali myna who was illegally captured in Bali for sale into the illegal songbird trade. After being stuffed in a sock and packed into a suitcase, she was smuggled to Los Angeles. Fortunately, Star was discovered and confiscated by law enforcement agents at LAX. After being transferred to the L.A. Zoo, animal care specialists helped Star recover from the trauma, and created a permanent home within the Zoo’s Avian Conservation Center with members of her critically endangered species. Today, Star, her mate, and their chicks continue to live and thrive at the L.A. Zoo.

Mateo’s Rescue

In June 2020, baby “Mateo” (a 4-month-old spider monkey) was found inside a vehicle console at the Port of Hidalgo. He was confiscated at the border and placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After receiving initial care at Gladys Porter Zoo, Mateo was transported to Dallas Zoo for quarantine. In September 2020, Mateo was transported from Dallas Zoo to the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida. Mateo has been successfully integrated into the existing spider monkey troop at Brevard Zoo and can frequently be seen playing on habitat with the troop.

Mateo’s Journey

Mateo survived and will now live out his life in the comfort and care of an AZA-accredited facility. But many spider monkeys in the illegal trade are not as lucky. Mateo was likely captured from his wild home as an infant. This scenario typically involves the mother being killed first, to make it easier for poachers to steal. Once caught, Mateo would have likely made the traumatic journey to the border stuffed inside a bag or small cage, along with several other animals that had also been taken illegally and bound for the pet trade—all facing dehydration, starvation, injury, and disease. Many will not even survive this journey. It is no surprise that it is estimated that for every one live baby chimpanzee that makes it out of the trade alive, ten were killed in the process.

Rescue

In May of 2017, US Fish and Wildlife Services, discovered 25 box turtles, between two separate airline shipments through a wildlife detection dog. On a flight from Wichita to Chicago, these turtles were bound for an end destination in Beijing, China. Unfortunately, due to health issues in about half the turtles (mycobacterium infection as well as other complications) the original goal of repatriating the turtles back into the wild was no longer a viable solution. The turtles were held for 11 months in a permanent quarantine at Lincoln Park Zoo, under significant medical attention, until they were finally healthy enough to be permanently placed among other facilities.

Journey

North American turtles are under siege, and people who buy a pet turtle may not realize the far-reaching and inhumane impacts that choice can have on wild populations. Routinely removed illegally from the wild, box turtles are the number one native North American turtle in the illegal pet trade. Most of the thousands of turtles seized annually by law enforcement officers do not survive. These animals are often treated horrifically during collection and transport. For the turtles that survive the harrowing journey, many become sick and shortly thereafter die.

J’s Rescue

In July 2021, baby “J” (a 5-month-old spider monkey) was tossed out of the window of a vehicle after someone was caught attempting to smuggle him across the U.S./Mexico border. Baby J was found 18 hours later inside of a bag by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and was subsequently seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Unable to be returned to the wild, and as soon as he was cleared by CDC quarantine, baby J was transported from the Dallas Zoo to his forever home at the Brevard Zoo. J has been successfully integrated into the primary troop, which includes Mateo. J continues to gain confidence and can often be observed initiating in play behavior with the other young monkeys.

J’s Journey

J survived and will now live out his life in the comfort and care of an AZA-accredited facility. But many spider monkeys in the illegal trade are not as lucky. Like Mateo, J was likely captured from his wild home as an infant. This scenario typically involves the mother being killed first, to make it easier for poachers to steal. Once caught, J would have likely made the traumatic journey to the border stuffed inside a bag or small cage, along with several other animals that had also been taken illegally and bound for the pet trade—all facing dehydration, starvation, injury, and disease.

Many will not even survive this journey. It is no surprise that it is estimated that for every one live baby chimpanzee that makes it out of the trade alive, ten were killed in the process.

Rescue

Discovered in Coachella Valley, CA in September 2020, four common chuckwallas, and seven desert iguanas, were recovered by Bureau of Land Management agents. The reptiles were originally purchased online by undercover BLM field agents through a larger wildlife trafficking investigation. Shortly after confiscation, the reptiles arrived at the Living Desert Zoo. Once separated into appropriate enclosures for optimal interaction among individuals, BLM and UCR Deep Canyon aided in developing care protocols for the reptiles that TLD utilized until the individuals were released back into Coachella Valley in May 2021.

Journey

As the third largest group of reptiles seized globally, lizards have become another unfortunate victim of the illegal pet trade. The smuggling of most live reptiles often results in death. Shoved into small bags, boxes, and even suitcases, going days without food or water, through inadequate and fluctuating temperatures, it really is no surprise that most individuals do not make it to their destination alive.