Suspect arrested in Dallas Zoo monkey theft

A suspect has been arrested in connection to the theft of two emperor tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo.

Davion Irvin, 24, has been charged with six counts of animal cruelty.

The two monkeys were taken from the zoo on Monday and later found in an abandoned home.

The theft came after a string of suspicious incidents at the zoo involving what appeared to be the deliberate sabotage of animal enclosures.

Police told the BBC that the investigation into all the incidents is ongoing, and further charges are possible.

The monkeys were returned to the zoo on Wednesday.

"We are thrilled beyond belief to share that our two emperor tamarin monkeys have been found," the zoo said in a statement.

Police identified Mr Irvin as a person of interest after he was spotted near the monkey cages around the time they went missing.

They said they believed someone had cut an opening in the habitat and taken the two primates.

A number of other incidents have occurred in the zoo this month. A young clouded leopard escaped from its exhibit through a hole cut in the enclosure. It was later found safely.

Workers also found deliberate cuts on an enclosure housing langur monkeys, though none got out.

Last week, an endangered vulture was found dead in its enclosure with an "unusual wound". The bird was one of only 6,500 on the planet and its death was deemed "very suspicious".

Zoo staff said losing the 35-year-old lappet-faced vulture called Pin was devastating, adding he would be "missed dearly by everyone".

In an interview with the BBC, Ed Hanson, the CEO of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, said that this many incidents in just over three weeks was "highly, highly unusual".

On average, he said most zoos will experience one theft every five years. The most common animals to be stolen are reptiles and birds, he said.

Primates, including emperor tamarin monkeys, require very specific care.

"It's not something you can steal, place in a cage in your living room and feed a banana," he said.

With additional reporting from Imogen James