Driver puzzled by monkey on loose

[Chris Mullins]

Driver puzzled by monkey on loose

A Bridgnorth motorist was stopped in her tracks when she came across a small monkey crossing a country lane on the outskirts of the town.

Police are are appealing for anyone who may have lost the creature to come forward amid fears that it may not be able to survive the snowy weather.

The woman saw the monkey at 4pm yesterday on Bromley Lane, near the turning to Burcote.

Police spokesman Richard Ewels said: "The woman has described the monkey as having a dark body, light face and long tail with a small tuft of hair on its head."

Derek Grove, a senior curator at Dudley Zoo, said the monkey was not from the zoo and said it would be a matter of luck whether it survived. Anyone with information can call Bridgnorth police on 08457 444 888

(Source: Shropshire Star - 23rd February 2005)

www.shropshirestar.com/show_article.php?aID=29943

Originally contributed to B/W UK by: Lisa Willow

[Chris Mullins]

Well it's nice to know that not all today’s work has been in vain:
I contacted Zoo's, Police etc today and eventually discovered a second witness that claims her and her husband most likely saw the same primate roughly 3 months previous.

I have no reason to disbelieve this witness, as she could have said they’d seen all the same features the reported witness had said previously… but no,… their sighting was from the rear of the primate. She said;

“Its hind legs were longer than its fore and its tail came right round and wrapped itself over its back as it moved on all fours,” she added “It was approx the size of a domestic cat, but the body was a lot thinner.”

She said “It looked very similar to the Monkeys you’d expect to see at the fair, and have your picture taken with.”<br>

Given this description, I think maybe Kazz could possibly be right with this one, when she said the other day in discussion over the phone regards this, that she felt it was most probably a Squirrel Monkey.

Also their own encounter, was approx 2½ miles from the original reported sighting.

So does this mean: the primate is coping with the rather extreme climate we're experiencing at present, possibly finding shelter somewhere in the area and maybe feeding off scraps left out for the winter birds? Or is there a possibility of there being more than one and someone’s either releasing them, or has an rather Ill efficient enclosure?

So what does everyone else think.............

/me Is it a Squirrel Monkey?

/me Could it possibly be surviving our winters climate?

/me Or is there more than one?