A Rolls-Royce, a monkey in a onesie and weed: the CHP makes an unusual stop

On January 2, 2025By Littum

California Highway Patrol officers were preoccupied with “next level monkey business” they discovered inside a sped-up Rolls-Royce ghost in Madera County Monday night: five cell phones, four large containers of weed and a 1-month-old spider monkey wearing a onesie .

Not only is it illegal to own primates as pets in California, but owning a baby spider monkey is also particularly dangerous, experts say. The young primates, which are endangered, require constant supervision and skilled care to survive.

An officer stands behind a man next to a highway patrol vehicle at night.

The driver of the luxury vehicle — which retails for more than $350,000 new — was pulled over for speeding northbound on California 99 north of Avenue 17 near the city of Madera, according to CHP. He was then arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, possession of an exotic animal and possession of cannabis for sale.

As for the suspect, he was identified as Ali Mused Adel Mohamed and booked into the county jail, a spokesman for the Madera County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

As for the monkey? He’s got a new home and a new nickname.

Bags on the bonnet of a cogeneration vehicle.

On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife brought the monkey to the Oakland Zoo, which specializes in providing sanctuary and care for exotic animals confiscated throughout the state. These include African lions, tigers, gibbons, macaws, chimpanzees, parrots, goats, sheep, rabbits, reptiles and more.

“We really want to discourage people from participating in the pet trade like this because it’s clearly illegal and it’s not good for animals to be raised with unqualified care,” said Fish and Wildlife Capt. Nathan Smith. “Many of the spider monkeys we see are malnourished due to a lack of understanding of dietary and medical needs.”

In the wild, spider monkeys are cared for by their mother for their first two years of life, he said. People who take them as illegal pets often underestimate the level of constant attention they need and fail to give them enough milk, he said.

Smith said the illegal trade in exotic animals, including spider monkeys, is a growing problem in California.

The confiscated monkey is now in the care of skilled zookeepers, but officers initially found themselves in a quandary on Monday night after making the arrest and realizing there was nowhere open to take the monkey.

The arresting officer bravely volunteered to take the primate home and look after it overnight.

On Tuesday morning, he dropped off the monkey at Madera County Animal Services, where staff nicknamed the monkey Marcel after Ross Geller’s pet monkey on the sitcom “Friends.”

A smiling woman holds a tiny monkey wrapped in a blanket against her chest.

Amy Toler, director of Madera County Animal Services, spent Monday morning caring for the monkey while she waited for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to come pick it up.

Marcel is the first spider monkey confiscated in Madera County, Toler said, so she called the nearby Fresno Chaffee Zoo and asked for advice on the monkey’s care.

“It was just a matter of keeping the monkey warm against me with a blanket,” she said. “We fed it mashed banana and gave it water. It had a diaper that was changed.”

Toler said she enjoyed her quiet morning swaddling the monkey and was glad it would receive the care it needs at the Oakland Zoo.