The authorities of the Metropolitan Area of Caldas have denounced a serious case of animal abuse and illegal possession of wildlife, after the death of a red howler monkey that was abandoned sick at a vet in the region.
The animal, of the Alouatta seniculus species, was taken by some people to the vet to receive medical attention, but when it was detected as a wild specimen, the situation was reported to the Metropolitan Area.
“Upon learning of this, those who took him there left the place without giving details of why he was in their hands and what had happened to the individual. They abandoned it,” reported the director of the environmental entity, Juan David Palacio.
The howler monkey showed signs of severe pain, was unable to move, and apparently had fractures in its thorax. He was rushed to the CES Veterinary and Zootechnics Center, but due to the seriousness of the clinical picture, he died.
The director of the Metropolitan Area took the opportunity to stress that wild animals are not pets and that their natural habitat is the forest. Unfortunately, the mistreatment and hunting of this species is repeated frequently in the department and throughout the country.
This case adds to the recent death of another howler monkey that was wounded by a bullet in the municipality of San Rafael, Oriente Antioquia. The authorities call on the population to respect the life and freedom of wild animals and to denounce any act of mistreatment or illegal possession.