Stolen Squirrel Monkey Found Safe and Well

A monkey stolen from San Francisco Zoo was returned safely home on Saturday night, two days after being swiped by thieves.

‘Banana Sam’ is a 17-year-old squirrel monkey who went missing last Thursday after some ne’er-do-wells cut through a gate and made holes in the fence surrounding the monkey enclosure at San Francisco Zoo. Staff feared the monkey may be gone for good, but on Saturday he was spotted at Stern Grove, a park about a mile from the zoo.

A bystander managed to coax the two-pound, one-foot-tall Banana Sam into his backpack, and then called police. He (the monkey, not the bystander) was said to be “hungry, trembling and thirsty,” but was ultimately deemed healthy after a physical examination with zoo officials. Zoo director Tanya Peterson says staff were massively relieved:

“We are so thankful to the community and to the San Francisco Police Department for this happy ending. I know it’s been extremely stressful for zoo staff during this time but we are grateful Banana Sam is back at the zoo where he belongs.”

Nobody has been arrested in connection with Banana Sam’s abduction, but a police spokesman said authorities were “looking at every possible avenue, including the bystander.”

San Francisco Zoo had offered a $5,000 reward for the monkey’s safe return. The zoo has since enhanced security around its monkey exhibit. While squirrel monkeys are not rare or particularly valuable – indeed, they are readily available in specialist pet markets – they are hella cute.