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Wounded spider monkey illegally kept as pet seized from Grand Island home

Department of Environmental Conservation

In its monthly roundup of Environmental Conservation Police activity, the state's Department of Environmental Conservation included information of a spider monkey being illegally kept as a pet on Grand Island.

On April 14, the department's Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigators for Erie County responded to a report of a spider monkey being kept in a home on the island. The animal was found to have a broken wrist and a case of rickets, which DEC said is likely due to poor diet and lack of veterinary care.

The monkey was transported to a licensed primate sanctuary, where it remains.

The DEC does not issue pet licenses for primates.

Other infractions noted in the roundup included tickets for fishing without proper licenses, unlawful campfires during the burn ban, and anglers keeping more striped bass than the daily legal limit of one per person.