A Brazilian couple was arrested on Monday for drugging and attempting to kidnap monkeys from Jardim Botânico, a botanical garden in the South Zone of Rio, authorities said.
The couple, identified as Luis Siqueira and Sarah Silva, allegedly used pieces of bananas combined with clonazepam that were then fed to the monkeys.
Employees at Jardim Botânico say they learned of Siqueira and Silva's plans after noticing unusual behavior from one of the monkeys in the enclosement on September 1st.
One employee filmed a monkey trying to stand up and grab onto a branch when it suddenly lost its balance and fell to its side. After reviewing CCTV footage, Luis Siqueira and Sarah Silva were seen engaging in suspicious behavior at the monkey enclosement at the park.
The monkeys were sent to a local non-profit organization, the Free Life Institute, in order to be assessed. Tests demonstrated that not only had the monkeys been drugged, but in some cases breastfeeding monkeys may have had their babies separated from them.
Park veterinarians believe the babies had been kidnapped by animal traffickers.
Siqueira and Silva returned to the park on Monday with additional doses of clonazepam. Using the park's CCTV surveillance system, employees watched them re-enter and promptly notified law enforcement. The suspects were apprehended by officers from Leblon Station who found bananas as well as a package of clonazepam amongst the couple's belongings.
The case was registered at the Gávea Police Station. Siqueira and Silva are now each facing two counts of environmental crimes, for which the penalties range from three months to a year in prison per charge.
As a result of this incident, employees of the park have increased surveillance of the monkeys, including the presence of more physical staff as well as the installation of additional security cameras.
The Botanical Garden's Fauna supervisor, Marina Bordin, stated that incidents like these harm the park's entire ecosystem.
