The Grim Reality of Exotic Animals on the Streets of Guadalajara

In Jalisco, municipal authorities have issued warnings regarding the presence of exotic animals within the metropolitan area—creatures that have emerged from a backdrop of violence. A tiger on a residential street; a spider monkey scaling power lines as if they were jungle vines. 

Whenever such an incident occurs, social media erupts; the astonishment lasts for a few hours, and then everything is forgotten. What no one sees is what lies behind that animal: a gunshot, a cub torn from its mother, and a trade that grows in silence. 

The statistics provide a glimpse into the magnitude of the problem in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. As of today, I can tell you that we currently have 33 spider monkeys in our care—including those that have arrived over the last few months. As for big cats? We have five. 

The situation regarding the spider monkeys is even more dire; there is absolutely no legal way to own them. And each one arrives bearing a history of violence dating back to its very origins. To acquire a monkey, traffickers must kill the mother in order to extract the cub—the little monkey. 

Just imagine: having to venture into the Mexican jungle—where these animals live naturally and thrive—shoot the mother so she falls, and then, assuming the tiny infant survives the ordeal, rip it away from her in order to traffic it. 

Social media acts as a double-edged sword in this issue. On one hand, it enables citizens to report sightings, allowing specialists to take action. On the other, it has evolved into both a showcase and a marketplace for this trade. 

Although Meta signed an agreement with federal authorities to block the sale of animals on its platforms, the trafficking has simply migrated to spaces where outsiders cannot gain access. 

An agreement was indeed signed here between Meta and federal authorities to address the issue of blocking animal sales on social media networks; however, in the case of WhatsApp—specifically closed groups—and Telegram (which are also highly private), no one can intervene to monitor what is taking place, due to the right to privacy. 

Penalties for the trafficking or illegal possession of wildlife can range from a fine of 100,000 pesos to imprisonment. These little animals possess the intelligence of a six-year-old child. Therefore, what you are doing is a literal kidnapping—you are upending the life of an animal that needs to be with others of its own kind. 

The tigers and monkeys featured in these videos are not fleeting celebrities; they are survivors of a system that treats them as objects. And as long as we continue to view them as entertainment—rather than recognizing them as victims—the cycle will never be broken.

Source: Milenio