Corrigan family spots Boss the missing monkey

CORRIGAN, Texas (KTRE) - There has been a Boss sighting in Polk County. No, that is not a reference to rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen.

A Corrigan family spotted Boss, a missing Capuchin monkey, near their home, which is about a mile from the Georgia-Pacific plant on May 13.

Joann Longoria said they were all out in the yard at the time. She added that her daughters were in the pool when her daughter’s mother-in-law said, “Look there. There’s that monkey.”

At the time, Boss was munching on a berry.

By the time Longoria and her families got to where Boss was, he had climbed up into a tree, she said.

“He wasn’t scared,” Longoria said.

Longoria said if they had known there was a reward, they would have tried to catch Boss.

“But we just thought we should call the police,” Longoria said. “I wouldn’t let anyone go near him.”

Boss escaped from his owner last week. 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.”

Boss is a seven-month-old support animal currently in training. Jolly said Boss took off into the woods behind the store, still wearing a white diaper.

Last week, Corrigan Mayor Johnna Gibson told East Texas News that Polk County animal control officers are 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,” Gibson said. “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,” Jolly said. “I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what happened.”

RELATED:

+ Missing capuchin monkey in Corrigan part of a smart breed, expert says

+ Police, animal control search for missing monkey in Corrigan area

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