A baby spider monkey discovered by the California Highway Patrol during a DUI stop near Madera earlier this month has a new, if temporary, home.

And a name.

“Azules is bright, alert and active,” said Dr. Alex Herman, the Vice President of Veterinary Services at the Oakland Zoo, where the monkey was taken after being found inside a Rolls-Royce Ghost that had been pulled over on Highway 99.

The monkey, found wearing a onesie and diaper and suffering from malnourishment and an upper respiratory infection, was confiscated along with an illegal amount of marijuana. The driver of the car was arrested on several charges, including suspicion of driving under the influence.

The animal was cared for by Madera County Animal Services until California Department of Fish and Wildlife could get her transported to the Oakland Zoo for more urgent treatment and rehabilitation.

She is recovering.

“Her upper respiratory infection is now resolved. She is following a healthy diet recommended by her nutritionist, and her organ function is good. However, her protein and calcium levels are low, which is expected because she’s been malnourished,” Herman said.

“She is still thin and has muscle loss, which will take time to correct.”

Azules (pronounced Ah-Soo-les )was named after the Montes Azules Biosphere Preserve in Chiapas, Mexico, a protected area of jungle that is home to Mexican spider monkeys.

The monkeys are often taken from the wild as infants and are considered highly endangered. They are one of the most trafficked species crossing the USA-Mexico border, according to the group Action for Primates.

“Most don’t live to see their first birthday due to inhumane care as pets,” according to officials at the Oakland Zoo. And there is a high mortality rate even before entering the pet trade. The infants often die in transport, and their “mothers (and other members of the troop) are often shot to extract the infants from trees.”

Last August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection found three monkeys hidden behind the seat of a car at the Calexico West Port of Entry. Each was under 2 months old, malnourished and in poor condition. Those animals were care for by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The Oakland Zoo is caring for Azules as part of the Wildlife Confiscations Network, a pilot program that coordinates care for animals confiscated from illegal trade. It is one of two zoos that can hold these rescues for long-term care.

Fresno’s Chaffee Zoo, which is also part of the program, can take animals only on a short-term basis. Because Azules needed weeks, possibly months, of care and rehabilitation, she was sent to Oakland.

The monkey is currently being cared for at the zoo’s veterinary hospital and can’t be visited by the public. Eventually, she will be moved into an “appropriate social group” with the Wildlife Confiscations Network, though the when and where isn’t being shared for fear of compromising a criminal case, according to the zoo.

“Nearly all trafficked spider monkeys are part of ongoing legal investigations,” an official said.