WILLEMSTAD - Head of Veterinary Service Arnold Dwarkasing said yesterday that the service put two monkeys to sleep this week.
The animals were found earlier this week on a boat with illegal immigrants from Venezuela. According to him, Curaçao has a zero-tolerance policy regarding animals that are smuggled. In this way the Curaçao community and the animals on the island are protected against possible diseases.
The head of the Veterinary Service explains that they have no insight into the health of smuggled animals. In the past, smuggled animals were put in a shelter, but according to Dwarkasing that no longer happens. He further explains that monkeys can carry many diseases.
The number of smuggled animals that were confiscated in Curacao has decreased drastically in recent years. This is mainly because there are no boats with fruit and vegetables coming from Venezuela. Animals were sometimes smuggled this way.