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Florida ‘Monkey Whisperer’ charged in illegal wildlife trade
Read full article: Florida ‘Monkey Whisperer’ charged in illegal wildlife tradeTAMPA, Fla. – A federal indictment says a Florida man known as “the Monkey Whisperer” has been charged with illegally transporting and selling primates. The documents unsealed Wednesday said Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, 57, has been charged with conspiracy, trafficking and submitting a false record in violation of a federal law involving the illegal trade in wildlife. [TRENDING: Biden will move to reverse these Trump policies | Here’s how to register for COVID-19 vaccine | At least part-time residency required for vaccine in FL]A Justice Department statement said Hammonds operated a wildlife breeding business through which he tried to sell a capuchin monkey to a buyer in California and also sold endangered cotton-top tamarins. If convicted, he could face more than 30 years in prison. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney.
Spider monkey smuggled into US to live at Brevard Zoo
Read full article: Spider monkey smuggled into US to live at Brevard ZooMELBOURNE, Fla. – A tiny spider monkey that was confiscated by customs agents at the Mexico-Texas border in June will soon be housed at the Brevard Zoo. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said a 23-year-old Texas man tried to smuggle the monkey into the United States by hiding the animal in the center console of his 2015 Ford F-150 pickup truck. “Finding this monkey is certainly unusual but not a first for our officers at Hidalgo,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. This spider monkey will be coming to the Brevard Zoo on Friday, and officials are hopeful the little guy will be able to fit in with the monkey troop at the zoo since he cannot go back into the wild. The monkey is currently in quarantine at the Dallas Zoo.
Just monkeying around: Primate takes phone, then selfies
Read full article: Just monkeying around: Primate takes phone, then selfiesRodzi, a Malaysian student whose cellphone was stolen while he was sleeping has tracked down the culprit: a monkey who took photo and video selfies with the device before abandoning it. Zackrydz Rodzi, 20, said Wednesday that his phone was missing from his bedroom when he woke up Saturday. But a bigger surprise came when he checked his phone and found a series of monkey selfies and videos recorded in the phone. “My uncle was joking that maybe the monkey took some selfies with the phone. He said he was curious why the monkey took the phone and not the camera or other things in his room.