Missing Monkeys Found, Are Back At Zoo Getting Snuggly

This seems like a case for Encyclopedia Brown.

Two emperor tamarin monkeys went missing from the Dallas Zoo earlier this week, but thankfully were found the day after hanging out in a vacant house like a bunch of hooligans — no worse for the wear other than having lost some weight.

The zoo reported on Twitter that the monkeys, Bella and Finn, "started eating and drinking almost immediately" and "were so happy to snuggle into their nest sack" upon their triumphant return.

“Emperor tamarin monkeys, Bella and Finn, were so happy to snuggle into their nest sack here at the Zoo last night! Our vet and animal care teams have said, beyond losing a bit of weight, they show no signs of injury.”

— Dallas Zoo (@Dallas Zoo) 1675280954 

Bella and Finn are just the latest animals to go temporarily missing from the Dallas Zoo in recent days — late last month, a clouded leopard named Nova left her cage, which had been intentionally torn open. She was found later that day, back around her usual habitat.

A similar gash was found on an enclosure containing some langur monkeys, though they stayed where they were and did not try to make a run for freedom.

Sadly, an endangered lappet-faced vulture named Pin was found dead under suspicious circumstances last month as well.

 Police have arrested a 24-year-old man the zoo believes is responsible for at least the tamarin monkey incident after finding him at the Dallas World Aquarium asking questions about the animals there, perhaps as part of a nefarious plot to reenact the final scene of Free Willy .

Free Willy 90S GIF    Giphy 

It's not clear if all of the incidents are related, though it would certainly be odd if they were not and a bunch of people were separately getting the idea to release (and possibly murder) animals at one particular zoo. It seems unlikely that this is the work of animal rights activists, because they probably wouldn't kill an endangered vulture and would also be aware that it would be difficult for these animals to survive in the wilds of Dallas, Texas.

It certainly seems like an ideal mystery for Encyclopedia Brown or the lead detective in a cat- or monkey-themed cozy mystery series, so hopefully we will all find out what is going on soon enough. At least, for now, they are all safe (except for the murdered vulture).

As far as we know, Carole Baskin is not currently a person of interest in any of these cases.

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