Two emperor tamarin monkeys that authorities believe were taken from the Dallas Zoo were found Tuesday inside a closet in an abandoned house, authorities said.
A tip led authorities to the home in Lancaster, south of Dallas, where they discovered the animals shortly before 5 p.m., Dallas police said in a statement.
A photo released by the department showed one of the animals inside the closet, perched on what appeared to be a section of chain-link fence.
No arrests have been made and an investigation into his disappearance is underway, the department said.
The animals were returned to the zoo and will be evaluated by staff members Tuesday evening, a zoo spokeswoman said.
The announcement came hours after the department asked for help identifying a person connected to the missing animals.
Her disappearance was the latest in a series of suspicious incidents at the zoo. Investigators found an intentional cut in their habitat on Monday and believe they were abducted, the police department said.
On January 21, Pin, a 35-year-old endangered vulture, was found dead with
what authorities have described as an “unusual injury.” The cause of the animal’s death has not been determined.
On Jan. 13, Nova, a 3-year-old clouded leopard, escaped from her wire mesh enclosure after an incision was made, authorities said. The cat, which the zoo said posed no danger to the public, was found later that day.
A similar cut was also found in the zoo’s langur monkey habitat, police said. No animals escaped or were taken or harmed.
It is unclear if the incidents are linked. The zoo has beefed up security measures, adding more night guards and cameras, and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the incidents, the spokeswoman said.
In a statement Tuesday, the president of the Dallas Zoo’s accreditation organization said the group “frankly” supported the facility and condemned “these acts of violence against the Zoo, its animals and the entire Dallas community.” “
“We are eager for the perpetrator or perpetrators to be apprehended and apprehended, and we applaud and support the work of the law enforcement professionals leading these investigations,” said Dan Ashe, president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
