01 February 2023 , 14:51
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Two monkeys missing from a zoo have been found in a cupboard in an abandoned house following a mysterious tip off.
This is just the latest turn in a string of weird occurrences plaguing Dallas Zoo, Texas, US, including cut fences, an escaped leopard and the death of an endangered vulture.
The two emperor tamarin monkeys were found safe in the abandoned house in Lancaster, just south of the zoo, after police were tipped off.
They have now been returned to the zoo for a vet inspection.
In a statement the zoo said: "It was clear the habitat had been intentionally compromised."
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A spokesperson continued: "Emperor tamarin monkeys would likely stay close to home - the zoo searched near their habitat and across Zoo grounds, and did not locate them.
"Based on the Dallas Police Department’s initial assessment, they have reason to believe the tamarins were taken."
Dallas Zoo has been plagued by a series of weird occurrences (Steve Helber/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Police are still trying to work out if the incidents over the past few weeks are related.
No arrests have yet been made but investigations continue.
On January 13, a leopard went missing for several hours before being found on the zoo grounds.
Police have said they believe someone had intentionally damaged the leopard's habitat.
A similarly "suspicious" tear was made in a monkey enclosure but none went missing.
On January 21 an endangered vulture called Pin at the zoo died under "unusual" circumstances.
A person police have said they wish to speak to in connection to the monkey incident (Dallas Police Dept)A statement from the zoo read: "The circumstances of the death are unusual, and the death does not appear to be from natural causes. Given the recent incidents at the Zoo, we alerted the Dallas Police Department."
Gregg Hudson, the zoo's president and CEO, called the death "very suspicious" and said the vulture had "a wound", but declined to give further details.
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The zoo have added more cameras around the complex and ramped up onsite security patrols.
The police have released a photo and video of a man they said they wanted to talk to about the monkeys.
A picture of one of the rescued monkeys (Dallas Police Dept)The photo shows a man eating Doritos chips while walking, and in the video clip he is seen walking down a path.
It has not been a good few weeks for security at US zoos with 12 squirrel monkeys being abducted from a zoo in south-east Louisiana.
Their habitat at Zoosiana in Broussard, about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge, had been "compromised" and some damage was caused in order to get in, city Police Chief Vance Olivier said.
He said police did not have any suspects but investigations continue.
Zoosiana said in a Facebook post that the remaining monkeys have been assessed and appear unharmed.