8 rescued monkeys begin new lives at Gainesville sanctuary

8 rescued monkeys begin new lives at Gainesville sanctuary

A multi-state federal investigation into illegal animal trafficking led to the seizure of eight primates. The suspect at the center of the investigation has previously been convicted on similar animal trafficking charges.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - On March 31, 2025, agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with volunteers from several animal rescue groups took part in an operation that led to the seizure of eight neglected monkeys.

Operation ‘Out of the Dark and into the Light’ is one of the largest federal primate-trafficking investigations in recent years.

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Now, those eight monkeys have arrived at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Gainesville, where they will safely live out the rest of their lives.

In addition to primates, the U.S. Attorney’s office reported dozens of other animals were seized — not all survived.

Primates in paradise

Initially, Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary was supposed to take in 14 primates, but founder, Kari Bagnall, said several of the animals were in such horrendous condition, they did not survive transport.

The monkeys that survived were named after their rescuers and sanctuary volunteers:

• Emily – a spider monkey who was found living inside a small bird cage
• Lyn & Beth – young, traumatized capuchins
• Paul – an elderly capuchin needing special care. He is believed to be the father of Lyn and Beth
• Patty Cake & Calla – marmosets rescued from filthy conditions
• Stephanie & Elsa – tamarins – one of which (Elsa) is a cotton-top tamarins which is a critically endangered species.

The female pair live together, which is uncommon in the primate world, according to Bagnall.

Illegal wildlife trafficking

The wildlife trafficking industry is estimated to generate between $8 billion and $10 billion per year, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

When it comes to primates, experts estimate there are thousands being sold illegally. Many of them, like the ones taken to Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, are kept in inhumane conditions.

"They all came pretty nervous, but some of them just blossomed," Bagnall said. "It was like as soon as they were here, they are just like, ‘Oh, outdoor, you know, big huge habitats!’"

According to Bagnall, with their 8 new additions, the rescue now cares for 177 primates – a costly undertaking.

"It's about $3,500 per monkey per year," Bagnall said. "So, for these eight monkeys for one year of care, it's $28.00 – and that's just for their monkey care."

And as the sanctuary stretches to provide for more rescue cases, Bagnall said there is a concerning spike in people breeding and buying pet monkeys. As cute as they look, Bagnall said they do not make good pets.

"The novelty wears off… the monkey bites a kid's ear off – literally; they're very dangerous, and they don't belong in a home."

Suspect at the center of it

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the man at the center of this case is Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, 61.

In October 2025, court records show Hammonds pleaded guilty to two charges stemming from the investigation.

Several years earlier, in 2022, Hammonds was sentenced in another animal-trafficking case to five years of probation and a $90,000 fine.

"There's so much money in the illegal monkey trade and the dark web that they just pulled… pull it out of their pocket – here you go. So that doesn't work," Bagnall said. "We need to have some stricter laws about this and get people, you know, doing jail time because otherwise, it's not going to stop."

What's next:

This time around, Hammonds faces up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for January 21 in a federal courtroom in Tampa.

As for the monkeys, Bagnall said they are settling into their new home.

Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary was able to secure a grant to cover the first year of care for all eight new primates, but they are raising funds to provide for the rest of their lives – and the other 169 primates at the sanctuary.

For more information about Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, visit them online and on Facebook. 

To donate to Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, visit here.