In one of the more bizarre stories involving illegal wildlife trade, a zoo owner in Mexico fell for a peculiar sting operation in 1993. The owner, whose identification remains undisclosed due to privacy concerns, sought to purchase a gorilla to enhance his zoo's exotic animal collection. However, with stringent regulations surrounding the purchase and sale of endangered species, such transactions usually involve considerable scrutiny under international law, particularly compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
To sidestep legal barriers, the owner turned to the black market, where he thought he found a seller offering a live gorilla at a suspiciously low price. Little did he know, the seller was an undercover FBI agent who was actually clad in a remarkably realistic gorilla suit, part of a U.S.-Mexico cooperative effort to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.
When the zoo owner met with the supposed seller to make the purchase, he was immediately arrested by authorities who had organized the operation. It became clear in the aftermath that not only had the owner attempted to engage in the illicit trade of endangered species, but he was also significantly duped into believing an agent in a gorilla suit was a real animal.
This incident spotlighted not just the lengths to which individuals might go to acquire exotic wildlife, but also the creative methods law enforcement sometimes employs to enforce animal protection laws. Following the event, the zoo faced scrutiny regarding other acquisition practices, and the case served as a stern warning to others in similar industries about the severe consequences of engaging in the illegal wildlife trade. The story often re-emerges in discussions as a somewhat humorous, if poignant, reminder of the bizarre intersections of crime and animal rights.
