(www.JackSanctuary.org), after months of coordinated international effort, welcomed 20 monkeys to their new home. The monkeys, all native to the Democratic Republic of Congo, were confiscated in September 2020, disrupting a wildlife trafficking operation running between the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R. Congo) and South Africa. This is a historical event and is the first such operation in Africa, where the animals were repatriated back to their native origins.
While crossing the border from Zambia into Zimbabwe, the traffickers were apprehended by the Zimbabwean ZRP/MFFU Officials. When the traffickers could not produce the necessary permits, the Zimbabwean officials moved quickly to confiscate the animals and arrest the traffickers. The arrested persons namely: MBAMBI John, MSIWA Overton, BEGOEX Nzeyi Okitelanga and BULANGONGO Ekaye, were arrested and charged for being in contravention of Zimbabwean laws, as they were unlawfully carrying monkeys of rare species from the D.R. Congo to the Republic of South Africa.