Biosecurity alert is triggered by discovery of dead monkey

The discovery of a dead monkey in a shipping container triggered a prompt biosecurity response in Whāngārei.

A staff member at BBS Timbers found the dehydrated monkey body squeezed between sawn timber packs upon opening the container.

The fumigated container had arrived from Guyana.

Biosecurity New Zealand was quickly alerted and advised how to remove the monkey. A biosecurity officer followed up with an inspection and picked up the body for disposal.

“The whole response worked extremely well. We were contacted by the business very early and our officers quickly jumped into gear,” says Biosecurity New Zealand spokesperson Stu Rawnsley.

“You can’t ask for anything more than that when it comes to protecting New Zealand from biosecurity risk.

“This was definitely one of our more unusual interceptions, but we need to remember the dead animal could have been harbouring diseases or hitchhiker pests with the potential to damage New Zealand’s economy and environment.”

The monkey body was in a poor condition. The species has not been identified.

BBS Timbers is a registered transitional facility with trained biosecurity staff to check arriving cargo.

There are more than 4,300 transitional facilities in New Zealand.  The ministry says they are strictly regulated by Biosecurity New Zealand.

Source:  Ministry for Primary Industries

Author: Bob Edlin

Editor of AgScience Magazine and Editor of the AgScience Blog

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