Costa Rican authorities continue to battle the illegal traffic of wild animals; today, a US tourist tried to enter the country through the Panama Frontier Migratory Control Station with a baby howler monkey on each shoulder.

The women of last name Frame had no documentation or permit to justify having the two animals with her. The authorities seized the animals and coordinated with the Ministry of Environment and the National System of Areas of Conservation for their care. The monkeys were going to be taken to a wildlife rescue center since they are still not able to feed on their own.

During 2017 authorities recovered almost 2500 wild animals that were taken out of their environment by tourists (national and foreigners); according to the Zoo Ave Rescue Center the majority of them are birds, particularly parrots, parakeets, and macaws but they’ve also seized sloths, monkeys, owls, and even an alligator.

This Monday, the Frontier Police also responded to the call of a neighbor of Paso Canoas in the Panama Frontier regarding a parrot that appeared in her backyard and that apparently flew from a neighboring house; on Thursday, they also rescued a scarlet macaw in poor health conditions.

Whenever possible, the animals seized are returned to their environment immediately, however in the majority of the cases the animals have to be taken to a rescue center or a wildlife center due to injuries or bad health conditions that make it impossible for them to survive on their own if set free. The Zoo Ave Animal Rescue Center is one of the places that receives some of the animals rescued by Costa Rican authorities, 80% of them are successfully returned to nature.