Last August a man boarded a plane in Peru with a pygmy marmoset under his hat. Not only did he get through security in Peru, he managed clear U. S. Customs in Florida. It wasn’t until he boarded a plane bound for New York that other passengers spotted the playful primate playing with the man’s ponytail.
Marmosets are New World monkeys found in South America. Pygmy marmosets are one of the smallest primates (pygmy mouse lemurs are the smallest), and the smallest true monkey, weighing in at five ounces or less. They feed on fruit, leaves and insects and sometimes small reptiles.
The well-traveled marmoset was bought on a whim in a street market in Peru. While not an endangered species, they are listed as being of special concern, or slightly threatened. The pet trade is their biggest threat as they are small, social creatures, usually gentle and docile. The man claimed he did not know it was illegal to bring an animal in from another country. Guess he’s never heard of Animal Planet either.
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