Golden-headed monkeys stolen in the Paris region, a track near Angers

During the night of November 15 to 16, thieves, equipped with crowbars, landing nets and boxes, infiltrated the premises of the Cavex association, in Mesnil-Aubry (Val d’Oise), without the volunteers hearing a single noise, revealed our colleagues from the Parisian.

The events took place within the premises of the Conservatory of endangered animals (Cavex), founded in 1999 by Doctor Henri Quinque. The latter is a regular in Anjou since he owns the Raguin castle in Chazé-sur-Argos (Maine-et-Loire). The objective of the association: to preserve biodiversity by ensuring the reproduction in captivity of endangered species, before reintroducing them into nature.

Broadcast on the Snapchat social network

In fact, several investigations have been opened into this case of Tamarins thefts. The first was entrusted to the gendarmes of the Montmorency research brigade and to the Central Office for the fight against environmental damage (OCLAESP) after the theft of these monkeys in the association. “Then, a second investigation was opened after the dissemination of videos published on the Snapchat social network and broadcast in cities of the XIX^e district of Paris. This investigation is entrusted to the police of the police station of the XIX^e arrondissement and to the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) “, indicates Yannick Jaouen, head of the interdepartmental service Paris and inner suburb of the OFB whom we contacted.

Videos really published in Angers?

Surprisingly, at the same time, new videos appeared showing golden-headed lion tamarins emerged on Snapchat, but this time from the Angers (Maine-et-Loire) side. This video is accompanied by messages like “Take your certificates, there are checks in the center of Angers” or “It sells monkeys on Snap, zero valve”. The monkeys would even be put up for sale at a price of € 3,500 each.

For these facts, the French Office for Biodiversity remains cautious. “For the time being, these videos which would have been shot in Angers have not been investigated. We must remain cautious about the concomitance of the facts ”, says Yannick Jaouen. So is this a modus operandi to blur the trail of investigators or are the monkeys really in “boxes for sale” near Angers?

Investigation still ongoing

For the moment the investigation is stalling but it has enabled three young people who were questioned in the first two surveys to be questioned. “They were released but will be prosecuted for other facts”, indicates the OFB.

Contacted, neither the Angers police station, nor the gendarmerie company and nor the prosecution were seized of the file. The investigation is therefore still ongoing to try to find these monkeys, endangered.

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