--- title: "It Was a Very Bad Weekend for Monkeys Being Stolen From Zoos, Apparently" description: "Strange things were certainly afoot this weekend, with zookeepers in Dallas and Louisiana announcing separate incidents of monkey theft." date: "2023-01-31" modified: "2023-01-31" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/monkeys-stolen-from-zoos" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "monkeys" - "the digest" - "zoo" - "zoo theft" --- # It Was a Very Bad Weekend for Monkeys Being Stolen From Zoos, Apparently ![Strange things were certainly afoot this weekend, with zookeepers in Dallas and Louisiana announcing separate incidents of monkey theft.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Double Monkey Theft Strange things were certainly afoot this weekend, with zookeepers at two separate American zoos — in different states, no less — announcing incidents of monkey theft, [*Insider* reports](). First, the Dallas Zoo [took to Twitter]() on Monday morning to announce that they'd contacted the city's police after discovering that two of the facility's [delightfully-bearded]() emperor tamarin monkeys went missing — and seemingly not by accident. "It was clear," the zoo added, "the habitat had been intentionally compromised." Of course, it's not every day that exotic animals are stolen from a zoo. But sure enough, on the same morning, officials at Broussard, Louisiana's "Zooisiana" park *also* reported that a number of monkeys had been stolen. According to [a Facebook post](), robbers were able to abscond with a full dozen of the zoo's adorable squirrel monkeys on Saturday. "The individual targeted facilities of smaller primates and specifically compromised the Squirrel Monkey exhibit," the post reads. "The individual was unfortunately successful in stealing 12 squirrel monkeys." https://twitter.com/DallasZoo/status/1620195239347511298?s=20&t=SesLQvI2YqqK9aiLAp6tQw ## Coincidence? Zoo industry professionals are understandably suspicious of collusion, as *Insider* reports. After all, Dallas and Broussard are only a six-hour drive apart. "The coincidence is a little difficult to ignore," Ed Hansen, the CEO of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, told *Insider*. "Folks don't wander into zoos and start cutting enclosures apart to either steal animals or see what happens when they get loose." "That takes a pretty strange mind," he added, also warning that without proper care, the stolen monkeys will likely "get sick and die." ## Unusual Zoo Activity Strangely enough, the Dallas Zoo's case of the missing tamarins comes on the heels of a string of bizarre, animal-related incidents at the same facility. On January 13, [*Insider* reported]() that a clouded leopard had escaped from its enclosure, which apparently had a "suspicious tear" in it. And then, [just ten days later](), the same zoo [announced]() that one of its endangered vultures had died under "unusual circumstances" that did "not appear to be from natural causes." It's hard what to make of the highly unusual string of incidents, or whether they have any kind of connection to the two nearly simultaneous monkey heists. Were the latter stolen with the intent of being sold off? In any case, we hope the innocent monkeys are soon recovered — and that the Dallas Zoo bulks up its security. **READ MORE:** [*Mystery at the Dallas Zoo: 2 monkeys are missing, believed to have been taken, following a leopard escape, a dead vulture, and 'suspicious' rips in enclosures*]() \[*Insider*\] **More on zoos:** [*Zookeepers Say Teen Gorilla Is Addicted to Cell Phones*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()