Kidnapped Monkey Back in SF Zoo

Returned by man who said he coaxed victim into his backpack
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 2, 2012 12:01 AM CST
Kidnapped Monkey Back in SF Zoo
The zoo offered a $5,000 reward for the safe return of Banana-Sam.   (1OneMinuteNews)

A monkey simian-napped from the San Francisco Zoo was returned by a man who said he coaxed the animal from the bushes at a nearby park into his backpack. The 17-year-old spider monkey, Banana Sam, was "hungry, trembling and thirsty," but healthy, said a zoo worker. He was missing close to 40 hours. The kidnappers had climbed onto a roof to cut through netting to grab the monkey, despite guards and security cameras at the zoo.

"We're just happy that it turned out the way it did," a zoo spokesman told the San Francisco Chronicle. A $5,000 reward for Banana Sam's safe return hasn't been paid out yet. Police are continuing to investigate. "We're looking at every possible avenue, including the bystander," a police spokesman told AP. (More spider monkey stories.)

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