Missing squirrel monkeys rescued

The two simians had gone missing from the Vandalur zoo on February 8

The Arignar Anna Zoological park said on Sunday that two squirrel monkeys that went missing on February 8 were rescued by the police. The animals are back at the zoo. The squirrel monkeys were stolen from their enclosures by a pet trader in collusion with a temporary zoo worker.

The squirrel monkeys had been given to the zoo by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in July 2020 and were housed at the park ever since. However, on February 8, the Forest Range Officer II at the zoo reported that the night patrolling party noticed early in the morning that the chain link fencing of the squirrel monkey enclosure had been cut open. The two simians housed at the enclosure were missing. 

A complaint was lodged at the Otteri police station by the Forest Range Officer. A team headed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police there visited the zoo on February 9 and initiated an investigation. The Director of the Arignar Anna Zoological Park too initiated an internal investigation and checked CCTV footage for leads.