Generally speaking, you shouldn’t break the law, but if you insist, it’s a good idea to remember the Jalopnik Law: commit only one crime at a time. One California man chose to ignore that advice Monday night and was reportedly speeding in his Rolls-Royce Ghost when officers pulled him over. They then proceeded to discover an adorable surprise — a one-month-old spider monkey wearing a onesie. Oh, and they also found five cell phones and a ton of weed, the LA Times reports.
Marijuana is legal in California, but selling it on the black market is not. Nor is owning a primate as a pet. As a result, Ali Mused Adel Mohamed now faces charges of driving under the influence, possession of an exotic animal and possession of cannabis for sale. Of course, he could just prefer to buy in bulk, and that weed was for personal use, but something about the five cell phones suggests that’s probably not the case.
While the spider monkey, which has since been named Marcel, looked undeniably cute in its onesie, they’re also endangered, and young ones need skilled caretakers. If you remember, Texas-based influencer Brandi Botello was recently arrested with a spider monkey that authorities later discovered suffered from rickets, an often painful bone disease caused by malnutrition. Don’t worry, though. Marcel is in good hands now:
On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought the monkey to the Oakland Zoo, which specializes in providing sanctuary and care for exotic animals confiscated across the state. These include African lions, tigers, gibbons, macaws, chimpanzees, parrots, goats, sheep, rabbits, reptiles and more.
“We really want to deter people from participating in the pet trade like this, because it’s clearly illegal and it’s not good for animals to be raised with unqualified care,” said Fish and Wildlife Capt. Nathan Smith. “Many of the spider monkeys we see are malnourished due to a lack of understanding of dietary and medical needs.”
In the wild, spider monkeys are taken care of by their mother for their first two years of life, he said. People who take them as illegal pets often underestimate the level of constant attention they need and fail to give them enough milk, he said.
Smith said the illegal trade of exotic animals, including spider monkeys, is a growing problem in California.
Before Marcel made it to the Oakland Zoo, though, it spent a night in the arresting officer’s home before being left in the care of Madera County Animal Services. While waiting for Fish & Wildlife to arrive, Amy Toler, director of Madera County Animal Services, took care of Marcel. “It was just a matter of keeping the monkey warm against me with a blanket,” she told the Times. “We fed it mashed banana and gave it water. It did have a diaper that was changed.”
