Five Animalandia Employees Charged With Animal Cruelty in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Five employees of Animalandia, a business on Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen, have been formally charged with animal cruelty, the State Prosecutor’s Office announced.

The suspects — identified as Félix “N,” Cristian “N,” Ever “N,” Martín “N,” and Johan “N” — were arrested following a search warrant executed by state investigators. A judge ordered them held in pretrial detention while the case proceeds.

According to the investigation, Animalandia offered tourists photo opportunities with exotic animals. During the raid, authorities seized multiple wildlife specimens that experts determined were kept in conditions incompatible with their well-being and natural development.

The seized animals include:

• Two capuchin monkeys
• Three spider monkeys
• Two squirrel monkeys
• Two white-nosed coatis
• One margay
• One juvenile white tiger
• One Bengal tiger
• One African lion
• One white tiger cub
• One black jaguar cub
• One cotton-top tamarin

Officials said the confinement conditions violated the animals’ biological and behavioral needs. The investigation remains open.