Tuesday, 09 March 2010 14:05

The pygmy marmoset riding in cages inside a sports bag and his health was terrible. The monkeys are in the species recovery center "Arrano Etxea" (San Sebastian).

The Ertzaintza has seized four monkeys of a protected species, pygmy marmoset, the interior of a car traveling on Friday by the A-8. The tiny primates were kept in cages inside a sports bag and was transported in unsanitary conditions, Basque Press reported.

The officers located in the back seat of a BMW they were riding in two Englishmen, a sports bag hidden inside which had three small plastic cages which include 4 pygmy marmoset monkeys bred between 14 and 18 centimeters.

Owner who said he did not provide any documentation or certification of the animals, saying it had a "species recovery center" in a town of Granada and heading to Britain to play with other species of animals.

The inadequate transport of animals made the agents seized the four monkeys and the initiation of proceedings for a possible illegal trafficking of exotic animals.

The tiny monkeys are found in species recovery center "Arrano Etxea" (San Sebastian), where its specialists confirmed the poor state of health of animals.