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Reminder: Coat-Wearing Ikea Monkey Is Adorable, But Monkeys Are Illegal In NYC
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 10, 2012
Modified Dec 10, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 10, 2012
Modified Dec 10, 2012
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Yesterday, a little monkey wearing a smart coat was found wandering an Ikea in Toronto, Canada. Was he looking for another Expedit shelving system?
The Globe and Mail reports, "Dressed in a shearling coat and a diaper, the monkey managed to open its crate, unlock the car door and go for a stroll in the Ikea parking lot - clearly a 'smart monkey' for having managed all that, said Toronto Police Staff Sergeant Ed Dzingala." The monkey was ultimately captured inside the Ikea, and it was determined that the little fellow was a rhesus macaque—and totally illegal. His owner was fined $240 (Canadian dollars) for the offense.
Before New Yorkers get any ideas about training a simian to do their holiday shopping, monkeys are totally illegal in NYC (see the health code PDF)—do not point to Marcel the monkey or Dr. Rizzo as proof of monkey ownership in the Big Apple because those are sitcoms. Also illegal in NYC: Tigers, even though some lived in a Harlem apartment until a neighbor complained about stupid tiger urine.
Update: The monkey is named Darwin! And he's going to a sanctuary.
Tagged
ikea
illegal animal
monkey
toronto
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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