The complete audacity of this Texas woman trespassing into the spider monkeys exhibit at the El Paso Zoo to feed the animals Hot Cheetos. We have learned nothing from the senseless murder of Harambe. Add insult to injury, this woman climbed into the spider monkeys exhibit in the same week as the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
A viral video taken by the Instagram account “fitfamelpaso” shows a woman entering the spider monkeys exhibit at the El Paso Zoo in Texas. The woman is spotted in the monkey exhibit standing under a waterfall and feeding the animals. After that, zoo officials say the woman was feeding Hot Cheetos to the spider monkeys named Libby and Sunday. Consequently, monkeys flinging Hot Cheetos poo sounds like an absolute nightmare.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPMpxNGHRjj/
The El Paso Zoo Reacts To The Trespassing Incident
El Paso Zoo Director Joe Montisano called the woman “stupid and lucky” for the stunt.
“This young lady decided to hop a fence, climb through some bushes, drop down into a four-feet deep moat, walk across the moat and then try to feed the spider monkeys,” Montisano said. “It was stupid.”
Furthermore, zookeeper Mason Kleist said the woman put herself in danger. In addition, the spider monkeys were threatened since they eat a strict diet. They added that the monkeys could get infected with COVID-19 from the trespasser.
“These are primates we’re talking about. They could do some substantial damage to you,” Kleist told ABC 7. “They may be small monkeys, but they can take you to the ground if they wanted to.”
“Anything that we have they could get as well, so COVID is no different,” Kleist added. “We took the necessary steps to prevent them from getting that, so for someone to just go in there and give them food from their hands could just ruin that.”
Zoo officials said they plan on pressing charges against her.
As a result of the incident, the El Paso Zoo could raise the height of the fence around the spider monkey exhibit and add surveillance cameras.
The Woman Was Fired From Her Law Firm Job
The woman, identified as Lucy Rae by KVIA and the Daily Mail, has reportedly by fired from her job.
The Lovett Law Firm released a statement on the woman’s termination on Monday:
We learned this morning that the individual who was filmed trespassing in the spider monkey enclosure of the El Paso Zoo was an employee of Lovett Law Firm. She has been terminated. The firm has always been a strong supporter of animals and animal advocacy. We absolutely do not condone this irresponsible and reckless behavior. We support the El Paso Zoo and our thoughts go out to the spider monkeys, Libby and Sunday, and hope that they will recover from this very traumatic experience.
In March, parents gave their children access to the chimpanzee exhibit at the El Paso Zoo. Harambe didn’t make the ultimate sacrifice for you people to make the same mistakes in judgment.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMqh6JiHX2A/