Police in Kirkcudbright are dealing with what appears to be the theft of three rare Cotton-Top Tamarin monkeys, one male and two females. The monkeys were taken from the Galloway Conservation Centre, near Kirkcudbright sometime overnight Thursday 4/Friday 5 January 2018.
The monkeys are described as being dark brown and white, about 12″ tall and have a distinctive white mane which tapers to a Mohawk above the head. They are a South American monkey, an endangered species and need heat to survive.
Constable Lee-Ann Hawker said “The monkeys are small and friendly and eat things such a leaves fruit, spiders and insects. They are no danger to the public. We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity around the Wildlife Park, which is closed, over Thursday/Friday. We also want to hear of any sightings of the monkeys in the area. We are treating this matter as a theft at this stage as they were being kept under lock and key. Anyone who has any information should contact us at Kirkcudbright on the 101 number, quoting PDG 0003490118.
The Galloway Conservation Centre is actively directing its efforts towards saving endangered species by protecting their habitat and raising awareness of the causes and threats to the endangered species and their habitats.
The Centre is now a registered charity ‘Galloway Wildlife Conservation Trust’. The Trust is an education, scientific and conservation charity dedicated to protecting our global wildlife heritage and inspiring in people a respect for animals, plants and the environment.
Image Credit – Galloway Conservation Centre
