After the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) reported the death of two baby howler monkeys and argued that they were “in an unfavorable state of nutrition,” Gilberto Pozo, primatologist and director of Usumacinta Biodiversity Conservation (Cobius), warned that it is the responsibility of the agency since when nine specimens were taken from Tabasco they were in good health and this was confirmed by Profepa, the Mexican newspaper La Jornada published.
The expert demands the agency to assume its responsibility since when he transferred the baby monkeys they were in excellent health, some younger specimens required 24-hour care as well as an adequate diet.
On June 26 and 29, the agency transferred nine howler monkeys, a species at risk of extinction, from Tabasco and four from Veracruz to the Center for Wildlife Conservation and Research (CIVS), in Los Reyes, State of Mexico. It is worth remembering that the heat wave a few weeks ago in the country caused the death of monkeys in those entities, as well as in Campeche and Chiapas.
Pozo added in a video that “Semarnat has to assume its responsibility because they took them to a place with a different temperature, higher altitude, where there are no tropical species or the type of fruit they feed on. They were sent there to die. These people need to assume their responsibility as an authority, have civil courage, and do not blame and say that things were going wrong.” He said letters were sent to the agency’s General Directorate of Wildlife about the risks of that movement.
In a statement, the agency reported that of the nine monkeys from Tabasco, eight were in an unfavorable state of nutrition, and of the four specimens from Veracruz, one was in a delicate state of health at the time of receipt due to an injury that It caused partial loss of vision, as well as difficulty consuming food normally.
Gilberto Pozo said that the specimen has already been stabilized and the other three are stable and completing their quarantine period, following medical and animal health protocols.
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