Lions, tigers and a monkey in a bulletproof vest: Meet the exotic pets of Mexico
CULIACAN, Mexico — Emilia is a 2-year-old spider monkey who wears jeans, crop tops and Armani perfume.
A popular TikTok account documents her busy life: trips to the spa, gym and church, as well as elaborate birthday parties for other pet monkeys, where she might cavort with friends in an inflatable bounce house and smash her face into a carrot cake.
It is illegal in Mexico to own spider monkeys, which are critically endangered and trafficked from jungles in the country's south. That hasn't stopped people in the northern city of Culiacan, home to one of the world's most powerful drug cartels and known for ostentatious displays of wealth.
"So many people here have them," said Zulma Ayala, a 34-year-old florist who was gifted Emilia two years ago. "It's fashionable. It says: 'I have the money to have a monkey.'"
Primates aren't the only exotic animals popular here. At private homes and ranches in Culiacan and across the rest of rugged Sinaloa state, it is not uncommon for people to keep lions, tigers and, yes, even bears.
The practice began decades ago as local narcos sought to emulate Colombian drug lords like
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