The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[Josh Greenman <joshg1973 AT yahoo.com>]

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=354019&y=2004&m=11

Endangered elderly monkey stolen from its cage at Mogo Zoo
By Ben Doherty 
Tuesday, 30 November 2004

Larry's gone, and Curly misses him.

One of Mogo Zoo's star attractions, a 16-year-old Cotton-Top Tamarin monkey 
called Larry,
was stolen from his cage overnight on Sunday.

Larry has lived at the sanctuary near Batemans Bay since 1996 and is one of 
the zoo's
oldest and most- loved residents.

Primate keeper Katie Hooker said Larry's mate Curly (there was a Moe once 
upon a time) is
desperately missing her soulmate.

"Curly has lived with Larry her whole life and she's very stressed that he's 
not there.
She's too frightened to come over to her handlers and she won't eat."

Ms Hooker said Larry's age meant he had to be very carefully cared for.

"He's 16 years old, he's a little old man, an old gentleman and he needs a 
special diet
and his medication [for a kidney disease] or he will be very ill.

"The worst part is he will be very frightened, he'll be fretting and he won't 
be eating."

Zoo owner Sally Padey told The Canberra Times she arrived at Larry's 
enclosure yesterday
morning to find the padlocks missing from the Tamarins' cage and Larry gone.

There was no other physical evidence of a disturbance at the scene, no other 
enclosures
were targeted, nor were the zoo's offices.

It was not apparent how the thieves broke into the zoo itself.

Mrs Padey said staff at the zoo regarded the animals as family and were 
devastated at
Larry's disappearance.

"We are just distraught, this is like someone broke into our house and stole 
one of our
children, or a family pet. 

"We are so worried about Larry, and we can't understand who would do this. We 
just want
him back."

Acting Crime Manager at Batemans Bay police station Inspector Michael Fuller 
said Larry's
theft was the first monkey-robbery he had investigated in his policing career.

He said it appeared the thieves were familiar with the layout of the zoo and 
specifically
targeted the Tamarin cage.

A lucrative blackmarket exists for Cotton-Top Tamarins, particularly 
overseas, but
Inspector Fuller said he doubted a "professional" job so the animal could be 
sold.

"The monkey is 16 years old, and as such if it were to be exported it is 
quite likely it
would not survive the journey. It is unlikely someone looking to sell a 
monkey, or use it
for breeding purposes, would take this one in preference to a young virile 
monkey."

A healthy male Cotton-Top Tamarin can fetch upwards of $US1500 on the black 
market.

Inspector Fuller said scientific analysis of the scene had yielded little, 
and police
were relying on information from the public to help find Larry.

"At this stage, the most important thing we could have is information from 
the public. 

"If someone has heard this theft being organised, or saw something suspicious 
in the area
Sunday night, or knows someone who is now in possession of a monkey, we are 
asking they
let Batemans Bay police or Crime Stoppers know."

Cotton-Top Tamarins are an endangered species found only in the forests of 
northern
Colombia.

They are between 20cm and 25cm long and weigh up to 400g.

They are usually grey, brown and black and have a prominent tuft of white 
hair on their
heads. 

They have a life expectancy in captivity of about 14 years.