Monkeys can be dangerous and shouldn't be kept as pets, sanctuary director warns
Monkeys shouldn't be kept as pets, an expert told IndyStar in the wake of Momo the monkey's escape from his Indianapolis home Wednesday.
Eileen Dallaire, executive director of the Primate Rescue Center in Nicholasville, Kentucky, also confirmed that Momo, who was captured Thursday morning, is a patas monkey.
Monkeys are social creatures and want to be with others of their kind, Dallaire said.
“The overall lesson is that primates do not belong in private homes," she said. "Incidents like this occur and put the community at risk, put the children in the community at risk, put small animals at risk.”
Monkey found: Momo has been safely captured, police say
'It's just a very precarious and dangerous situation'
Primates can have different personalities, Dallaire said, with some being more aggressive than others. Regardless, a scared animal is unpredictable.
“A scared primate is trying to protect themselves and survive, so they might, in that state, cause injuries to people who might come upon them,” Dallaire said. “People are all fascinated by monkeys and primates and might even want to interact with them or lure them somewhere and it’s just a very precarious and dangerous situation.”
She said she hopes that Momo is placed in a permanent sanctuary home.
Contact IndyStar reporter Katie Wiseman at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Monkeys don't make good pets, sanctuary director says
