The discovery of two missing emperor tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo in an abandoned home has solved one mystery, but left many others unanswered.
The monkeys were found in a closet after their enclosure was cut the day before, and no arrests have been made. Dallas police returned the animals to the zoo for veterinary evaluation after they were located in Lancaster, Texas, just south of the zoo.
The authorities are still investigating the case and trying to determine if the monkey theft is related to the recent spate of incidents at the zoo, according to The Associated Press.
In January, a clouded leopard escaped its enclosure and was found after a daylong search. Police said the fence of the small cat’s habitat had been intentionally cut, prompting a criminal investigation.
Days later, a lappet-faced vulture at the Dallas Zoo died under mysterious circumstances. The zoo’s president and CEO, Gregg Hudson, called the death “very suspicious” and said the vulture had “a wound.”
About 400 miles away in Louisiana, another zoo is facing a similar mystery as officials investigate the theft of 12 squirrel monkeys. Authorities are considering if this case could be connected to the one in Dallas.
