2 days ago
Watch: Spider monkey rescued during drug bust now thriving at the zoo
OAKLAND, California (WJW) – A young spider monkey named Violeta is enjoying her new home at the Oakland Zoo after being rescued alongside rattlesnakes during a drug bust last month.
The investigation started when deputies with the Solano County Sheriff's Office stopped a vehicle in the city of Vallejo on May 6.
During the traffic stop, deputies confiscated half a pound of methamphetamine and arrested 50-year-old Clifford Vincenty, the department said on Facebook at the time.
Vincenty, a California man, was taken into custody and charged with possession of a controlled substance for sale.
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The next day, law enforcement conducted a search at Vincenty's Vallejo home, where investigators reported finding another pound of meth, more than $2,000 in cash, a spider monkey and two rattlesnakes.
According to the sheriff's office, animal control officials removed the animals from the home. The Facebook post said Vincenty would be facing additional charges.
The spider monkey, believed to be about 18-months old at the time, was taken to the Oakland Zoo's Veterinary Hospital.
'Veterinary Hospital staff are taking measures to ensure Violeta's overall wellbeing and have reported that she is doing well in her temporary home where keepers have set up enrichment, along with blankets and toys to keep her comfortable and stimulated,' the zoo said in a May press release. 'They are providing her with a healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, and she is drinking formula that will help to minimize the likelihood of pathologic bony fractures.'
Later in the month, zoo officials said Violeta was making 'incredible progress.'
'Her corneal ulcers have fully healed, and she's now active and engaged, especially during social enrichment,' zoo officials said on X.
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In another update on Friday, the Oakland Zoo posted a video of Violeta playing in her new enclosure.
'Guess who's out of quarantine and loving her new space? Violeta is!' the post said on X. 'Cleared of all infectious disease testing, she's moved to a larger area and is gaining weight slowly but steadily!'
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists spider monkeys as an endangered species. According to the Oakland Zoo, they are one of the most trafficked animals over the U.S.-Mexico border.
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