Bearded monkey stolen from Leipzig Zoo - not yet found

A bearded monkey stolen from Leipzig Zoo has not yet been found. "The monkey is not back," said a police spokeswoman on Wednesday morning. The theft of the 15-year-old female monkey had made headlines. The absence of the female named Ruma was discovered on the morning of Easter Sunday, as the zoo had announced. According to the police, unknown persons had forced open the enclosure on Sunday night and stolen the animal. The criminal investigation department then secured evidence and issued an alert for the bearded monkey, the Leipzig police department announced on Tuesday.

Zoo director Jörg Junhold said that they were very concerned for the animal's welfare. Bearded monkeys are one of the most endangered animal species. Keeping and transportation are regulated by the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which means that the legal acquisition of the animals is subject to strict requirements. As a consequence of the break-in, security precautions at the zoo have been increased.