Police, animal control search for missing monkey in Corrigan area

CORRIGAN, Texas (KTRE) - Police and Polk County Animal Control are on the lookout for an escaped Capuchin monkey in Corrigan. The support animal got away from its owner at a Corrigan Dollar General store after she bought it some water. Store manager Lawrence Jolly saw the situation unfold.

“She came and bought the bottle and said this is for my pet monkey,” said Jolly. “And so she goes outside, she feeds the monkey. The monkey bit her and took off.”

The name of the monkey is “Boss” and he is a seven-month-old support animal currently in training. Jolly says Boss took off into the woods behind the store, still wearing a white diaper it had been given by the owner.

Corrigan Mayor Johnna Gibson says the Polk County animal control is trying to recapture the monkey without harm.

“Polk County Animal Control has been looking and there’s a trap set with some bananas that will not harm the monkey,” said Gibson. “It is a live trap, so they are hoping the bananas will lure the monkey into the cage and they can catch it that way.”

It is legal to own a monkey in the state of Texas. The average range of price can be from about $4,000 to $7,000 to own one. Even so, the sight of a pet monkey escaping from its owner in a Dollar General parking lot is far from an everyday sight

“I’ve seen it, it was a monkey with a diaper.” said Jolly. “I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t know what happened.”

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