Catalina is a female Spider Monkey of approximately 2 years. On February 2021, she arrived at Primate Pets through PROFEPA (Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection) because of a voluntary donation.
Catalina was sold in a market in Culiacán, Sinaloa, and she became a family pet for 10 months. She is originally from Quintana Roo, in Mexico’s southern coast. Catalina is a clear example of wildlife trafficking; she was bought on the black market in the north of the country when the species originally comes from the jungles in the south.
At the Sanctuary, Catalina went through an adaptation program, because she had only lived with humans and wasn’t used to being surrounded by other monkeys. Catalina currently lives in a community of 11 Spider Monkeys, all under 2 years of age.
Almost all of them have come to the Sanctuary due to illegal trafficking and arrived at the Sanctuary thanks to the intervention of PROFEPA. They were all able to receive a second chance and live with monkeys of their same species at Primate Pets.
