A couple was arrested while trying to escape with a pregnant monkey puppy that was captured inside the Tijuca National Park in Rio de Janeiro last Friday (16). Those involved tried to escape from the scene, but the vehicle was intercepted by the Military Police.
During the vehicle’s magazine, agents found capture networks, foods used as bait and the preaching monkey hidden inside a backpack. The animal was captured with a handcrafted trap.
The pregnant monkey was sent to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) to be examined by a veterinarian and later returned to the forest.
According to the Federal Police, the suspicion is that the animal would be trafficked through social networks and clandestine fairs.
The man was arrested and charged with qualified reception, illegal hunting within reserve area and animal abuse. The woman will respond for environmental crime. The vehicle was seized.
*Under Pedro Osorio’s supervision
