In a recent operation that highlights the ongoing war against illegal pet trade, the Oakland Zoo has stepped in to provide refuge for Estrela, a female marmoset monkey rescued from a residence in Southern California. This effort was a collaboration between the zoo, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Wildlife Confiscations Network (WCN), as reported by the Oakland Zoo. Estrela's previous owner was arrested on unrelated charges, fully aware that the monkey would be seized.
Despite overtures from San Diego and Los Angeles Zoos, neither could provide sanctuary due to being at capacity with other rescues. Thus, the Oakland facility had to quickly step up its game to take in the furry South American native. Estrela, named for a star-shaped spot of fur on her forehead, is now under the watchful eye of Oakland Zoo's Veterinary Hospital's clinicians, who are assessing the full gamut of her physical condition, including a pre-existing fracture.
Dr. Ryan Sadler, Senior Veterinarian at the Zoo, shed light on the fracture, noting, "The bones had healed but were malaligned, which can impact her movement." He also indicated the injury likely resulted from being improperly caged. "In all likelihood, this injury is from the animal being housed inappropriately," Sadler told the Oakland Zoo's news team. A large birdcage was Estrela's prior domicile, indicative not only of the illegal nature of her keeping but also of a basic misunderstanding of the requirements for primate housing.
The marmoset's journey does hightail toward a brighter horizon. Following quarantine, she's slated to move to her forever home in the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Texas. Oakland Zoo's staff members are busy engaging her with enrichment items, providing barrier caretaker interaction, and fostering a new, trust-based relationship. Darren Minier, the zoo's Director of Animal Welfare and Research, lamented the plight of such animals, saying, "The best intentions of private owners, while understandable, in no way compensate for the innate needs of the individual animals housed as pets."
The exponential growth of the illegal wildlife trade is turbocharged by e-commerce and social platforms. Animals like Estrela, once commodities in this nefarious market, face not just compromised welfare but also spawn grave risks for public health via zoonotic diseases revelry. Illegally trafficked exotic animals are part of a disturbing trend placing thousands of species in the crosshairs of transnational crime rings, ranking alongside insidious activities like drug trafficking and human smuggling in terms of profitability.
Much to their credit, the Oakland Zoo and partners like ARCAS in Guatemala are not merely observers but active participants dedicated to rehabilitating the results of such actions and staunching the adverse flow of this trade. Oakland Zoo invites the public to become more aware of the issue and support their efforts through visits to their website and donations to the cause, aiming to turn Estrela's story from one of captivity to a tale of liberation.
