Two families of endangered monkeys were stolen from a zoo in central France over the weekend, the sanctuary’s director said on Monday.
Rodolphe Delord said the thieves broke into the zoo in Beauval over the weekend avoiding security cameras and patrols, and took seven golden lion Tamarins and 10 silver Marmosets.
“These are extremely rare, extremely fragile monkeys that are part of an international breeding program,” he told AFP, adding that the golden lion tamarins belong to the Brazilian government.
“We have absolutely no idea how such a thing could have happened,” he said. “The thieves were experts. They knew exactly which to take.”
The zoo is currently looking through CCTV footage and the French police and veterinary services have been informed, Delord said.
Lion tamarins are small New World monkeys named for the mane surrounding their face.
They are mostly found in the Eastern rainforests of Brazil.
Lion tamarins weigh up to 900 grams (2 pounds) and are about 30 cm (12 inches) long, with tails about 45 cm (17 inches) long.
They jump through trees using their fingers to hold on to branches and their claws to dig under the bark to search for insects to eat. They also eat some snakes, small lizards and small fruits.
Lion tamarins tend to live in family groups, with both parents sharing different tasks of child-rearing the yearly twins. The mother nurses her young every two to three hours, and the father carries the babies on his back.
