Injured Baby Howler Exposes Ongoing Wildlife Threat

A tiny howler monkey found injured and alone in southern Belize is once again shining a harsh spotlight on illegal wildlife activities. The weeks‑old infant, rescued with trauma and even traces of lead in its body, is now in the care of the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic. Advocates say the case is yet another reminder that Belize’s primates remain at serious risk and that the public needs to step up to protect them.

 

Giann Vasquez, Wildlife Hotline Coordinator, BWRC

“We received a call last Saturday about this baby monkey and apparently, they said it fell off the tree. So, people were concerned and wondering if we could not get it. It is always an issue because people can keep it as pet. So, the call came from down south and went immediately to fetch it. When we received the monkey it was stable and it looked relatively healthy, except for that dislocated digit. And when we investigated further we saw through x-ray, traces of lead. And what happens is that in order for you to obtain a baby monkey from its mother you would literally have to shoot the mother to get the baby. So, given the traces of lead in the extra we expected it might have been shot off the mom as well. We stabilized it, fed it for a couple of days and transferred it to our partners Wildtracks in Sartaneja. They specialize in rehabilitation for primates. So we transferred it to them and then the baby monkey will be reared, grown throughout his life stage. And it will take a very long time, about seven years for it to be rehabilitated and introduced to a new troop.”

 

 

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