Emaciated spider monkey rescued from Rolls Royce DUI suspect recovering at Oakland Zoo
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- There are signs of recovery and healing for a severely malnourished spider monkey found in a bizarre DUI case Monday night.
"It will take months and months and months for her to return to a normal body condition," Colleen Kinzley, the Vice President of Animal Care, Conservation and Research at the Oakland Zoo said.
The spider monkey was recovered by CHP officers during a traffic stop of a Rolls Royce in Madera.
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The driver was caught speeding, driving under the influence and he also had a spider monkey, a critically endangered species and illegal to own as a pet in California.
"It's really horrible, it will traumatize her for the rest of her life, she'll never be able to live a normal life as a spider monkey, she'll never have the family bonds that she would have had if she was able to stay with her family," Kinzley said.
She's now in the care of the Oakland Zoo's Veterinary Hospital.
But she is considered a 'critical case' and Kinzley says she has a long road of recovery ahead.
"She has not received proper nutrition, she would still be nursing with her mother for two years, we estimate that she's somewhere between five to six months old but she's so emaciated, it makes it so difficult to accurately judge the age of the baby," Kinzley said.
The spider monkey came in malnourished, with an abnormal coat and skin and suffering from an upper respiratory infection.
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Now she's being kept in a humidified environment to help treat the infection.
"In our quarantine area of the hospital, we have to be very careful about masks, gloves, suiting up, because we don't want to give her, even a cold virus at this point could kill her," Kinzley said.
The zoo says on Saturday she will have an exam under anesthesia so they can more thoroughly assess her condition.
"We are very happy and proud to do this work to help out but it's so unfortunate that we have to, we need to end this issue, we need to end the illegal wildlife trade using these animals for human benefit," Kinzley said.
If and when she has fully recovered, the zoo says they will work with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Wildlife Confiscation Network to find her the best home, in a zoo or sanctuary.
The Oakland Zoo says because she is still recovering in the hospital, she cannot be visited by guests at this time.
