Nashville Zoo provides a safe home for two female Mexican spider monkeys from the illegal wildlife pet trade through a partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Wildlife Confiscations Network. The spider monkeys were illegally taken from the wild and sold into the pet trade, harming their ability to survive in their native habitat. The two spider monkeys were then confiscated and sent to the Nashville Zoo to live in a safe and stable environment. This rescue is part of a larger national effort coordinated by the AZA Wildlife Confiscations Network, which ensures that animals removed from the illegal trade are placed in accredited facilities capable of meeting their complex social, physical, and behavioral needs.
Nashville Zoo’s newest additions are named Mistletoe and Julia. Rescued incredibly young, Mistletoe is a year-and-a-half-year-old, and Julia is nearly two years old. After being confiscated by law enforcement and transferred to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the pair was sent to Brevard Zoo for quarantine. Mistletoe and Julia arrived at Nashville Zoo in January, and since then, the Zoo’s Animal Care Specialists have been working on introducing the new additions to its current troop. After a few introductions to the habitat, the girls have been successfully integrated into the troop and can now be seen along Bamboo Trail in the spider monkey habitat.
“We are grateful to have enough space to provide Mistletoe and Julia a home to thrive in for years to come,” said Brittany Canfield, Primate Area Supervisor at Nashville Zoo. “Nashville Zoo is proud to offer a safe, permanent home for animals, while educating the public about animal welfare and supporting broader efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.”
Mexican spider monkeys are heavily trafficked across the U.S.-Mexico border due to demand in the illegal pet trade. Infant spider monkeys are often taken from the wild after their mothers are killed by poachers. They are then smuggled across borders, frequently hidden in vehicles, bags, or crates, and often arrive malnourished, dehydrated, or injured. The Wildlife Confiscations Network, launched in 2023 with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, places rescued animals, including nearly 100 spider monkeys, into safe, professionally managed environments.
Spider monkeys are not suitable as pets due to their complex physical, social, and behavioral needs. In the wild, they live in large, dynamic social groups that require constant interaction, stimulation, and mental challenges, conditions impossible to replicate at home. Without proper care, they can develop behavioral issues such as aggression, self-harm, or severe anxiety.
“Combating wildlife pet trade helps protect biodiversity, conserve habitats, and reduce the risk of disease transmission between humans and animals,” Canfield continues. “These efforts promote the long-term survival of species and reinforce the Zoo’s mission to conserve wildlife for future generations.”
To fight back against the illegal pet trade and destruction of Mexican spider monkeys’ natural habitat, the Zoo recommends supporting accredited zoos and their conservation programs, reporting suspected wildlife trafficking, learning more about campaigns like Not a Pet to spread awareness, and supporting legislation like the Captive Primate Safety Act to regulate non-human primates as pets. Nashville Zoo encourages people to never purchase or keep wild animals, including spider monkeys, as pets.
Additionally, through Nashville Zoo’s Wild Works conservation program, guests can support Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center (RAREC), one of the Nashville Zoo’s conservation partners. RAREC provides a safe home for animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in the Amazon. Many of these animals, like spider monkeys, arrive unable to survive in the wild and receive care, rehabilitation, and enrichment to restore their health and natural behaviors. Animals that can be reintroduced to protected rainforest areas are gradually released, while others receive lifelong care.
The Mexican spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) is an endangered subspecies of Geoffroy’s spider monkey, primarily found in the tropical rainforests of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. They are large New World monkeys, distinguished by their long limbs, prehensile tails, and highly arboreal, social, and fruit-based diet. They are highly social, tree-dwelling primates that are critical for ecosystems as seed dispersers.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Mexican spider monkeys are listed as endangered and are threatened by habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. They are protected under CITES Appendix II but not fully under U.S. law.
Learn how Nashville Zoo is advancing critical spider monkey conservation initiatives and how your support can help safeguard their future at www.nashvillezoo.org/conservation.
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