Two emperor tamarin monkeys that went missing Monday have been found.
Police said they received a tip the monkeys were in an abandoned Lancaster home Tuesday. Dallas and Lancaster law enforcement found the animals in a closet inside the empty home around 4:50 p.m..
Dallas police believe the monkeys were taken from their enclosure. There have been no arrests, but police say they've identified a man they want to speak with "in regard to" the incident.
The monkeys were returned to the zoo, where a spokesperson said they will be evaluated by veterinarians. The zoo and police will provide updates on the tamarins and how they were recovered Wednesday.
Dallas Police, with the help of the Lancaster Police Department, located the two missing tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo at an abandoned home in Lancaster.
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) February 1, 2023
Pictured is one of the animals still inside the closet of the house.
The monkeys have been returned to the zoo. pic.twitter.com/vfWj7aAt3T
The monkeys' disappearance was just the latest in a string of mysterious and suspicious incidents at the zoo, where earlier this month an endangered male lappet-faced vulture named Pin was found dead with an unspecified wound.
A week earlier, a 25-pound clouded leopard named Nova went missing from its cage for hours after police and zoo officials said its mesh enclosure was intentionally slashed open. It was later revealed that an enclosure for langur monkeys also appeared to have been cut open at the time, though the animals did not escape.
Police believe all three alleged crimes may be connected, and a $10,000 reward has been offered for any information leading to an arrest and prosecution in those cases.
Police did not confirm whether they believed the latest incident was related, but said the investigation is ongoing.
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