Last August, the customs at Beirut – Rafic Hariri International Airport stopped the trafficking of two rare monkeys that arrived from Ghana. They were shipped in a small plastic cat crate with no food or water. The Ministry of Agriculture asked the local NGO Animals Lebanon to take care of the monkeys, Benny and Nia, until a sanctuary is secured. The good news is that the monkeys were recently moved to a sanctuary in Dorset, England! Doctor Alison Cronin, the director of Monkey World, traveled to Beirut to make arrangements to move them! White-throated guenons are rare and do not exist anywhere outside of their native countries which are Nigeria and Benin. These animals are still considered a vulnerable species near extinction due to their decreasing population.
MEET BENNY & NIA!
Say hello to our newest arrivals at the park, Benny & Nia, a pair of white-throated guenons. These incredibly rare monkeys are only found in small areas of Benin & Nigeria- and now Monkey World. pic.twitter.com/emukI6LEDb — Monkey World Dorset (@MWApeRescue) May 25, 2018
Benny and Nia are now following a diet to gain weight. They are also getting physically fit again. Early signs of recovery show that these two monkeys will be fine! Lebanese authorities joined the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 2013. Authorities are doing their best to protect endangered species smuggled into the country.
