DALLAS: Two monkeys taken from the Dallas Zoo were discovered Tuesday in an abandoned home after going missing from their enclosure the day before, which had been cut. However, no arrests have been made, adding to the zoo's mystery, which has already included other broken fences, the escape of a small leopard, and the suspicious death of an endangered vulture.

Dallas police said they discovered the two emperor tamarin monkeys after receiving information that they might be in an abandoned home in Lancaster, just south of the zoo. The animals were found safe and sound in a closet before being returned to the zoo for veterinary evaluation.

Police stated earlier on Tuesday that they were still investigating whether the recent incidents are connected.

After 12 squirrel monkeys were stolen from a zoo in Louisiana on Sunday, authorities started an investigation and looked into the possibility of a connection.

When workers discovered Nova, a clouded leopard, was missing on January 13, the zoo had to close. Later that day, the leopard, which weighed 20–25 pounds (9–11 kilograms) after a search involving police, was discovered close to her habitat.

Police claimed that the opening in her enclosure was purposefully made using a cutting tool. Police reported that a similar gash was also discovered in a langur monkey enclosure, though none of the animals managed to escape or seemed hurt.

Arriving workers discovered Pin, an endangered lappet-faced vulture, dead on January 21. The vulture had "a wound," according to Gregg Hudson, president and CEO of the zoo, who also called the death "very suspicious" and withheld further information.

Hudson said in a news conference following Pin`s death that the vulture enclosure didn`t appear to be tampered with. Monday police said the two emperor tamarin monkeys — which have long whiskers that look like a moustache — were believed to have been taken after someone cut an opening in their enclosure. The following day police released a photo and video of a man they said they wanted to talk to about the monkeys.

If it turns out that the monkeys were taken to be sold, Lynn Cuny, the founder and president of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia, Texas, said she wouldn't be surprised. A monkey like those could be sold for "several thousands of dollars," she said, depending on the buyer.

According to Cuny, "Primates are expensive animals in the wildlife pet trade in this country. Everyone who wants one wants one for the wrong reasons; keeping a wild animal as a pet is never a good idea.

She claimed that the taken monkeys could have been in danger in a number of ways, including poor diet and exposure to the cold. Due to a winter storm, Dallas experienced lows in the 20s on Tuesday.

Pin`s death has been hard on the staff, according to Harrison Edell, the zoo’s executive vice president for animal care and conservation.
Speaking at a news conference, Edell said Pin was at least 35 years old and had been at the zoo for 33 years. Pin, one of four lappet-faced vultures at the zoo, was said to have sired 11 offspring, and his first grandchild hatched in early 2020. Edell said Pin`s death was not only a personal loss but also a loss for the species, which “could potentially go extinct in our lifetime.”

Hudson, the zoo`s CEO, said in a news conference following Pin`s death that normal operating procedures included over 100 cameras to monitor public, staff and exhibit areas, and that number had been increased. Where possible, he said, zoo officials limited the ability of animals to go outside overnight. After Nova went missing, officials said they had reviewed surveillance video but not what it showed.

The 12 squirrel monkeys went missing from their enclosure on Sunday at a zoo in the southeast of the state.

According to city police chief Vance Olivier, their habitat at Zoosiana in Broussard, about 60 miles (96 kilometres) west of Baton Rouge, had been "compromised" and some damage had been done to get in. He cited the ongoing investigation as a reason why he would not give more information about the damage.

He claimed that while they were still looking through video files, police did not currently have any suspects. According to a Facebook post by Zoosiana, the remaining monkeys have been examined and seem to be unharmed.

A 340-pound (154-kg) gorilla by the name of Jabari inflicted three injuries during a 40-minute rampage in 2004 before being shot and killed by police.