Emperor tamarin monkeys at Dallas Zoo are missing ‘compromised’ habitat in fourth suspicious animal incident in weeks

TWO emperor monkeys have been declared missing by the Dallas Zoo.

The Dallas Zoo, also known as the Dallas Zoological Park, contacted police after realizing the animals’ homes were being broken into.

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The zoo released the following statement Monday evening: “On Monday morning (January 30), the Dallas Zoo alerted the Dallas Police Department after the animal care team discovered that two of our emperor monkeys were missing.

“It was clear that the habitat had been deliberately compromised.

“Angel monkeys would likely stay close to home – the zoo searched near their habitat and throughout the zoo grounds and did not find them.”

An active investigation is now underway by the Dallas Police Department.

After an initial assessment by police, “they have reason to believe the tamarins have been stolen,” the zoo added.

Since Jan. 1, 2023, the recent monkey incident marks the fourth suspicious occurrence at the zoo, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reports.

The first incident involved a clouded leopard escaping its enclosure, which police eventually learned was the result of a deliberate cut on the enclosure.

While a search was underway for the leopard, a second cut was discovered on the fence of another animal’s habitat at the same zoo.

The second cut was on the fence enclosing langurs, a species of monkey.

And the latest incident involved an endangered vulture who was found dead with an “unusual wound”, zoo officials revealed.

Earlier this month, the Dallas Zoo located missing leopard Nova after his “suspicious” disappearance led to the zoo’s closure.

The Texas zoo issued a Code Blue alert after the 25-pound leopard went missing from its habitat when the staff count team arrived.

According to the facility, a Code Blue is issued when a “non-dangerous animal leaves its habitat.”

“One of our smoked leopards was not in its habitat when the team arrived this morning and is missing at this time. The Dallas PD is on site and assisting with the search effort,” the Dallas Zoo said on Facebook.

Nova, who was safely found after her disappearance, and her sister Luna arrived at the Dallas Zoo in September 2021 after the couple was transferred from the Houston Zoo.

“These guys are a species of trees, so they live in the tops of trees,” Sara Bjerklie, the zoo’s assistant zoological director, told the Dallas Morning News in 2021.

The Dallas Zoo is home to more than 400 species and 2,000 animals.

In 2004, a gorilla was killed by police officers after fleeing the Dallas Zoo, injuring three people, including an infant who was bitten on the head and chest and thrown against a wall, the Dallas Morning News at the time reported.