Hunt is on for rare stolen monkey

Last updated at 15:12 18 July 2006


An endangered Bolivian squirrel monkey has been stolen from a zoo during a night-time raid.

The monkey, named SpongeBob, is still missing after thieves broke into Chessington World of Adventures, near London, early on Monday morning.

Zookeepers found two of the fences surrounding the Monkey & Bird Garden had been cut.

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Another nine of the monkeys - which are known to be territorial - were either still inside or close by, but SpongeBob has not been found and is presumed stolen.

Sonia Freeman, head of mammals at the zoo, said the two-year-old breeding male, affectionately known as Bob, had only been at Chessington for three months.

She said: "He had been especially selected through the European Endangered Species Programme to be introduced into the group of females as a breeding male, and he was successfully integrating with the group.

"We are devastated that he is gone as he is a much-loved member of the zoo with his cheeky personality."

Bob was born in South Africa and hand-reared from birth, and was curious and cheeky, Ms Freeman said.

But she added: "He is still a wild animal and not a pet. If he is not looked after properly he can become very upset. He is also on a very specialised diet and he will be very unhappy and stressed at being separated from his group.

"This was obviously a pre-planned strike and we are deeply disturbed that anyone would go to such lengths to steal Bob from his home here at the zoo.

"The whole group of squirrel monkeys is in turmoil as he was the only breeding male in the group. We have spent three months settling him into his new home, and this can cause long-term damage for the whole troop."

Detective Constable David Burton, from Kingston Police CID Department, said officers were investigating the incident.

He said: "We have concerns for the safety and welfare of this endangered squirrel monkey. If seen, we recommend you do not approach him as he may be in distress due to being in an unknown environment."

He asked anyone who saw the monkey to contact Kingston Police on 020 8247 4945 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

He added: "We are working very closely with the team at Chessington World of Adventures to ensure Bob is returned safely back to the zoo."

The suspected theft is the latest in a string of raids on zoos in recent months.

In June, five rare marmoset monkeys were stolen from Drusillas Zoo Park at Alfriston, East Sussex, as they slept in their nesting boxes.

A further 14 monkeys were stolen from zoos in Devon and Cambridgeshire earlier this year.

And just before Christmas, three-month-old baby Toga, a Jackass penguin, was stolen from Amazon World zoo, on the Isle of Wight, when thieves broke in overnight.

The theft attracted worldwide media coverage but, despite several sightings and a £25,000 reward, the penguin has never been found.

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