Rescued monkey recovers at zoo

Nicknamed “Roadblock”, due to the circumstances under which he was discovered, the howler was “skin and bones, lethargic, dehydrated, and totally out of condition when he arrived”, said Ben Del la Rosa public relations officer of the Emperor Valley Zoo. 

Upon his arrival, Roadblock was examined by the Zoo’s medical staff for internal and external parasites, contagious diseases, and general injuries. Nirmal Biptah, Acting Assistant Curator, reports that the howler initially had to be “tubed and force-fed because he was so stressed out by his ordeal”. After two weeks he was fed goat’s milk via a bottle, and later he started to eat fruits, vegetables and greenery on his own. 

Now fiesty and alert, Walter Bonwun, Roadblock’s handler ensures that he climbs trees, gets as much sunlight as he wants every day, and generally has ample opportunity to “monkey around”. “We try to make sure he does exactly what he might do in the wild”, said Bonwun. “And, you should see how his crimson fur looks in the sunlight. The higher he climbs up toward the sunlight, the redder it looks”, noted Del la Rosa excitedly. 

Biptah confirmed that exotic animals like howlers are considered “prestige items”. He had no information on what such animals might cost on the black market. 

The Emperor Valley Zoo is now Roadblock’s permanent home. At adulthood he will weigh between 15-25 pounds, and he has company in the form of two other fully grown howlers. 

Also rescued along with the now two-and-a-half-pound Roadblock were several birds, including finches (picoplats), yellow-headed parrots, and black caiques. Biptah reports that all the birds were nursed back to health and are doing well.