A Zoo in Louisiana says that a dozen squirrel monkeys that were stolen Saturday are still missing six days later.
According to Zoosiana, a zoo located in Broussard, a city just outside of Lafayette, the heist happened shortly before midnight Saturday, when a thief "intentionally compromised" the squirrel monkey exhibit and stole 12 monkeys.
“It’s a very sad situation, obviously, we’re heartbroken," Zoosania's General Manager Matt Oldenburg told NBC affiliate KLAF-TV
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The remaining squirrel monkeys were assessed by the zoo's veterinarian and were found to be in no danger, Zoosiana said in a statement.
The zoo said they are working with local, state and federal agencies to investigate the theft. Authorities are also reviewing surveillance footage from around the zoo to try to locate a suspect, who will face a burglary charge, KLAF reported.
U.S. & World
The theft happened less than two days before a pair of emperor tamarin monkeys were taken from their enclosure at the Dallas Zoo. The suspect has since been arrested after he was spotted at the Dallas World Aquarium.
Louisiana state law states that keeping monkeys as pets is illegal, according to the Law Library of Louisiana.
