Winston-Salem, NC– Officials with Animal Control and and Veterinarians with Wake Forest Baptist are in Davidson County searching for a monkey.
Wake Forest Baptist tells WFMY News 2 that the animal is about the size of a domestic cat and it escaped from an animal housing area on Friday.
As of Wednesday, officials with the research facility told the Associated Press that the Monkey is avoiding traps and tranquilizer guns while hanging out in trees.
Since late Monday, a team of veterinarians, animal care and county animal control officers have been attempting to safely capture the animal. Until calls from a nearby neighborhood, officials sid they thought the monkey was still somewhere on the 200-acre campus, near its housing and feeding area, which is common behavior.
Two reported sightings made them regroup and start their search in a nearby community. WFMY News 2 received an email late Monday night from a concerned homeowner in the area of the sightings.
As of Tuesday morning the animal had not be captured.
According to a release from the medical center, the 16-year-old monkey is part of a breeding colony that supplies monkeys to other research projects. However, it is not domesticated and typically avoids people. Anyone who sees the animal should not attempt to capture, feed, pet or interact with it. Like any animal in the wild, it could try to bite or scratch or carry a virus that is contagious to people.
Anyone who sees the animal should contact Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center at 716-3305, animal control in Forsyth County at 703-2490, or Davidson County Animal Control at 249-0131.
Following the escape, Wake Forest staff immediately added additional security measures in the animal housing areas to prevent future incidents.
Meanwhile, he's having fun on his Twitter account:
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