Texas man arrested for allegedly stealing monkeys from Dallas Zoo

The zoo has added additional safety after the theft of two emperor tamarin monkeys, each of which have been recovered.

An emperor tamarin monkey perched on a branch
This photograph, supplied by the Dallas Zoo, reveals an emperor tamarin monkey that lives on the facility [Dallas Zoo via AP]

A person accused of pilfering a pair of primates from a zoo in the USA has been apprehended, police say.

Regulation enforcement officers within the metropolis of Dallas, Texas, mentioned in a weblog publish on Friday that a 24-year-old suspect has been arrested for allegedly stealing two emperor tamarin monkeys from the native zoo, which has not too long ago skilled a string of weird incidents, together with animal disappearances and breached enclosures.

Each monkeys had been recovered on Tuesday and returned to the zoo.

“Emperor tamarin monkeys, Bella and Finn, had been so completely happy to snuggle into their nest sack right here on the Zoo final evening!” the Dallas Zoo mentioned in a Twitter publish on Wednesday. “Our vet and animal care groups have mentioned, past shedding a little bit of weight, they present no indicators of harm.”

Police mentioned the suspect, named Davion Irvin, has been charged with six counts of animal cruelty — three for every of the monkeys — and is being held within the county jail. His bail has been set at $25,000.

Police additionally mentioned there may be an ongoing investigation into the unusual occurrences which have taken place on the zoo not too long ago.

Irvin has additionally been charged in two of these incidents, involving a clouded leopard named Nova and the zoo’s langur monkeys, police spokesperson Kristin Lowman introduced on Friday.

On January 13, staff found that somebody had used a chopping device to open the clouded leopard’s enclosure and that the feline had escaped. The leopard was found the identical day on zoo grounds and returned to her habitat.

Police discovered comparable cuts to an enclosure containing the langur monkeys, although not one of the primates had slipped out. Irvin faces two counts of housebreaking to a constructing in connection to the harm at each displays.

An endangered lappet-faced vulture was additionally discovered lifeless on the zoo below what officers described as “suspicious” circumstances. Gregg Hudson, the zoo’s president and CEO, mentioned the vulture had suffered a “wound”. However Irvin has not been linked with that incident to this point, as police proceed their probe.

On Monday, the monkeys Bella and Finn had been additionally reported lacking, with the zoo saying their habitat appeared to have been “deliberately compromised”.

Regulation enforcement later posted an image of the suspect of their disappearance, asking the general public for assist figuring out him. Irvin was detained on Thursday after being noticed on the native Dallas World Aquarium, the place he approached an worker to ask questions.

“Dallas Police obtained a tip Irvin was seen on the Dallas Aquarium close to animal displays,” police mentioned in a press release. Aquarium spokesperson Waylon Tate mentioned the worker had acknowledged Irvin from the photograph police circulated.

A tip additionally led authorities to the 2 monkeys, who had been found within the closet of a vacant residence within the metropolis of Lancaster, about 25km (15 miles) south of the zoo.

The emperor tamarin is a small monkey with lengthy whiskers and is known as for its resemblance to the German emperor Wilhelm II, who can be identified for his elaborate facial hair.

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