Endangered primate found dead in shipment of chili peppers mailed to the US, feds say

Border agents opened a suspicious shipment of chili peppers and found the remains of a primate and other animals inside, officials say.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists inspected the shipment from Thailand and found the body of a lorisid, a primate protected as an endangered species, in April, according to a Thursday news release. They also found “numerous” dried frogs and insects, officials say.

The shipment was addressed to a location in Buffalo, New York.

Another shipment from Thailand uncovered over 22 pounds of soft-shelled turtle bones possibly protected as an endangered species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified the animal remains found in the shipments.

“U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors, along with Customs and Border Protection, continue to produce excellent results by impacting the illegal wildlife trade,” Supervisory Wildlife Inspector Denise Larison said in a news release. “Wildlife trafficking remains a significant threat to thousands of plant and animal species around globe. Thanks to this great partnership, we were once again able to prevent the unlawful importation of protected species and disrupt the illegal market for these precious animals.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not announce arrests or charges in the case.

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Endangered primate found dead in shipment of chili peppers mailed to the US, feds say."