CAPUCHIN CAPER

Escaped Pet Monkey Turns Cat Burglar in Peru

The furry felon ransacked homes and caused damage before being captured by authorities.

Peruvian officials recently caught an unlikely suspect involved in a string of home burglaries: an escaped pet monkey. The furry felon, a black-capped capuchin, was seen hopping across rooftops, trees, and power lines in an Ica housing complex, leaving chaos in its wake. Peru’s National Forestry and Wildlife Service responded quickly, joined by veterinary staff from the Ica Municipal Zoo. They discovered that the monkey had broken into several homes, rummaged through people’s belongings, and left a trail of destruction. Given that the burglar is native to the Amazon, authorities suspect it escaped from a private home. This is supported by an inspection of the animal, which revealed marks on its waist consistent with being tied by a rope or chain. After some rooftop acrobatics, the monkey was safely captured and taken to the Ica Municipal Zoo to be quarantined. The monkey is too domesticated to return to the wild, so its future remains uncertain. It could stay at the zoo or be relocated to another sanctuary. But for now, it’s enjoying a break from a life of crime.