Exotic wildlife habitat Zoosiana, in Broussard, Louisiana has issued a statement about an arrestrelated to the theft of squirrel monkeys at the habitat.
Zoosiana said in a statement, "We sincerely thank all officers and detectives involved in this case and commend the skill and tenacious diligence of the Broussard Police Department. While this situation continues to be incredibly upsetting, we are very thankful for the tremendous progress that has been made to get this case to where it is today. We extend our thanks to the local, state, and federal agencies who assisted in the investigation. At Zoosiana, excellence in animal care remains our top priority and our focus continues to be on the health, safety, and well-being of our animals, in particular our remaining Squirrel Monkeys. We continue to be attentive to their needs and in helping to rebuild trust within the troop. We kindly ask that any additional questions related to the investigation be directed to the Broussard Police Department."
A man from the town of Opelousas, in southern Louisiana was arrested by law enforcement in connection with the theft of a dozen monkeys from the zoo in the Acadiana area of the state.
Joseph Randell, 62, was booked on burglary charges and 12 counts cruelty to animals.
Police in the town of Broussard said they worked with Opelousas Police to execute the arrest warrant on Randell.
No monkeys were recovered as of Tuesday night and the location of the monkeys was under investigation.
Investigators said they were not sure if there was any connection between their case and the Dallas Zoo cases, police say.
On Feb. 3 a 24-year-old man was arrested in connection to the thefts of two emperor tamarin monkeys from the Dallas Zoo in Texas, authorities said.
According to the Dallas Police Department, Davion Irvin was arrested after being spotted near the animal exhibits at The Dallas World Aquarium.
The theft in Broussard, Louisiana at Zoosiana happened on either January 28 or 29, KATC reported.
Police were called to Zoosiana at 10:30 a.m. local time on January 29 when keepers discovered about a dozen squirrel monkeys had been taken from their habitat.
An investigation into the incident was still ongoing.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Broussard Police Department in Louisiana at 337-837-6259, or call the Louisiana Department of Wildlife Fisheries or Crimes Stoppers at 232-TIPS.
This story was originally published by KATCin Lafayette, Louisiana with additions from Scripps News.
