2 Emperor Tamarin Monkeys Believed to Be Stolen from Dallas, Texas Zoo
DALLAS, Tx. (KPEL News) - The Dallas Zoo has confirmed that two emperor tamarin monkeys are missing and believed stolen, and that their habitat was intentionally sabotaged to allow for the escape.
According to the zoo, they alerted Dallas Police on Monday that the two primates were missing.
The zoo was closed on Monday due to inclement weather. Texas has been under a winter storm warning.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the theft is the latest in a series of extremely odd incidents at the zoo.
On Jan. 13, a 4-year-old clouded leopard named Nova had a day of social media fame when the zoo announced she had escaped from her enclosure. After search involving infrared drones, a “code blue” and Dallas police’s SWAT team, she was found on-site and unharmed.
The day after Nova escaped, officials revealed a similar cut was found on the langur monkeys’ enclosure, but said all of the langurs were in their habitat and accounted for.
About a week after the habitat vandalisms, a 35-year-old endangered vulture was found dead, and zoo staff quickly deemed the cause “unusual.” The bird, named Pin, was one of four lappet-faced vultures at the zoo. He had been at the Dallas Zoo for 33 years.
Closer to Home
There is no reason to suspect that this incident has anything to do with the theft of several squirrel monkeys from Zoosiana in Broussard, Louisiana. But it is rather odd.
On Sunday, Zoosiana got in touch with Broussard Police to report their missing monkeys. No other animals were found to be missing, and law enforcement said in a statement that there was no public danger.
There is still no word on a suspect or a motive behind either monkey theft.