The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[Carrie McLaren <carrie AT stayfreemagazine.org>]

Wellington Newspapers Limited
The Evening Post (Wellington)
March 1, 2001 

SECTION: NEWS; NATIONAL; Pg. 2; BRIEF

LENGTH: 73 words 

HEADLINE: Trapper hears missing monkey

BODY: 
An animal trapper says he heard Tuko the missing monkey in Charleston's Nile
Valley yesterday morning. Bruce Thomas, hired by Lost World
Productions to find the capuchin monkey, said Tuko called back when he and
the crew's animal trainer called his name up the valley, 27km southwest
of Westport. "I had listened to the tapes of his call and it was definitely
him," Mr Thomas said. - NZPA



- - - - - -


The Evening Post (Wellington)
February 27, 2001 

SECTION: NEWS; NATIONAL; Pg. 14

LENGTH: 205 words 

HEADLINE: Tuko's owner abandons hope

BODY: 
Hokitika zoo curator Jacquie Grant has given up hope of ever seeing her
missing capuchin monkey again.

She said yesterday she was devastated by the loss of 5-year-old, hand-reared
Tuko, named after former New Zealand First MP Tukoroirangi Morgan.

The 1.5kg monkey bolted late last week during filming of BBC dinosaur movie
The Lost World, apparently unnerved by the number of people on the
set. 

The crew was filming in the Buller district's Nile Valley, 27km southwest of
Westport. 

About 50 crew members, school children and Norwest Adventures staff spent
hours looking for the South American monkey, hand-reared by Ms Grant
after he was abandoned by his mother.

He was spotted twice in the first few days, but was too fast for rescuers,
who came within metres before he fled.

Lost World Productions had since employed a possum trapper to bring Tuko
home safely, but Ms Grant was pessimistic about his chances. "He's not
used to fending for himself."

Ms Grant said "all would be forgiven" if Tuko was found safe, but she would
explore other avenues with the film company if he remained missing. -
NZPA