(Trinidad Guardian) Cramped together in wicker baskets and cages— baby monkeys, parrots, and a macaw were rescued by police during an exercise in south Trinidad yesterday.
This was revealed by game warden Steve Seepersad who has led the charge in the fight against the illegal pet trade in south Trinidad.
Speaking to Guardian Media outside the Fyzabad Police Station, Seepersad said the smuggling of protected animals through the porous borders of the South Western peninsula has doubled within recent times, despite an increase in fines.
He said the Forestry Division, as well as the Fyzabad police, searched a house at Red Brick Trace, and seized 14 baby monkeys, 17 yellow-headed parrots and one macaw.
A Venezuelan national was arrested. The baby monkeys were kept in wicker baskets and one cage while the yellow-headed parrots were also caged. The monkeys huddled together and chattered as the media took photos. One was dead.
Seepersad said the monkeys will be sent to the Emperor Valley Zoo for safekeeping. He said the police were in the process of getting a translator to interview the Venezuelan man.
Seepersad said he was disappointed that people were continuing to bring in animals through the borders under heart wrenching and inhumane conditions. He said the animals were being taken from the South American mainland where they were in abundant supply. However, he said apart from generating monetary gain, the illegal pet trade posed danger to the people of T&T.
“The way these animals are captured is very inhumane and the numbers that are taken means that there could be a depletion in the population coming out of South America and the Amazon,” Seepersad said.
He added, “Also, there are lots of pathogenic diseases and pathogens that could be brought back through these animals that could affect our animal population and our people. Right now we are dealing with COVID 19 but we do not know what other new diseases could be brought in here.”
He noted that once investigations are complete, charges will be laid. These include 17 counts of possession of protected parrots, 14 counts of possession of protected monkeys and one count of possession of protected macaw.
Seepersad also issued a call for citizens to desist from engaging in animal smuggling.
In early June, three men were arrested when they were caught throwing wicker baskets of birds overboard after they were intercepted by the T&T Coast Guard. A total of 47 birds drowned.
