It’s no secret that illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking are rife throughout Central and South America, and in recent years this has unfortunately increased, with a specific threat to the jaguar population. Sadly, the effects of this are felt heavily by the Bolivia Wildlife Sanctuary. As a result, the population of animals has more than quadrupled in the last five years. The sanctuary is home to over 900 rescued animals of 65 distinct species.
One of the newest arrivals at the sanctuary is 10-month-old spider monkey, Koa. The local Forest and Environmental Protection Police (POFOMA) carried out a wildlife confiscation in December 2021, and among those rescued was little Koa. She was poached from the wild, where they had killed her mother and intended to make Koa a pet. It is unknown how long she had been kept in captivity though she is healthy and has responded well to her introduction to two of the sanctuary’s older spider monkey residents, Silala and Kahlúa.
Upon arrival to the sanctuary, Koa was understandably extremely nervous but since meeting Silala and Kahlúa, who have taken her under their wing like a younger sister, she is gaining confidence and developing her own personality. We hope to bring you further updates on Koa’s growth and development over the next few months!
A huge thank you to POFOMA and the Bolivia Wildlife Sanctuary team for rescuing, caring for and providing a safe haven to the victims of illegal wildlife trafficking and habitat destruction.
