National Zoo denies claims of venomous snake importation

Santo Domingo.- The National Zoological Park clarified on Wednesday that the animals it will receive as a donation from an exotic species rescue center in Puerto Rico do not include venomous snakes, dismissing circulating claims as false and harmful to the country’s reputation as a territory free of venomous species.

The requested animals are limited to caimans, ring-necked parakeets, and rhesus monkeys. The institution noted that, in Puerto Rico, no cases of herpes transmission from these monkeys to humans have been recorded. The animals were originally seized because they were being used for tourist photo sessions in local parks.

Zoo authorities added that they are in the process of obtaining the required animal health permit from the General Directorate of Livestock, as well as the no-objection authorization from the Ministry of Environment—both mandatory for importing any species into the Dominican Republic.