A teenage girl faces the danger of serious illness after being bitten by something unusual in a grocery store.
What is that unusual thing? A monkey.
The pet monkey was apparently brought inside a Buc-ee’s grocery store in Terrell, Texas by its owner. The monkey’s owner has not been identified, according to KDFW.
Terrell police said the victim, a 13-year-old girl, was traveling with an out-of-state church group Friday afternoon when she went into the store. She saw the monkey being carried by its owner, and asked if she could hold his pet.
KDFW reported that a manager approached them and said the monkey was not allowed in the store. When the owner tried to take the monkey off the girl’s shoulder, it bit her on the neck, police said. Police told WFAA that it was “a very minor scratch.”
Police are now searching for the man and the monkey.
The City of Terrell Animal Adoption Center released an image of the man in hope that someone might be able to identify the owner.
The reason is that the girl could be in danger of contracting a serious illness.
Dallas Zoo Mammal Curator Kieth Zdrojewski told KDFW primates make horrible pets because they are unpredictable.
“Socially, they’re not made to be with humans,” he explained. “They don’t know how to be nice all the time. Once they get to sexual maturity, they want to fight. Their teeth are sharp.”
Investigators are worried about an infection spreading, and Zdrojewski said that it is smart to worry.
“Whatever that monkey had in its saliva and urine, if he touched feces he could transmit that to you,” Zdrojewski said. “So you’re talking about tuberculosis, influenza, common cold, hepatitis — all these different things the monkey could transmit to you.”
Police said this is not a criminal case. They simply want to find the owner of the monkey to find out if it has been properly vaccinated.
It was unknown if the girl has showed any symptoms of infection.
Police are asking for anyone with information to call 469-474-2700.
Let’s hope they find this man and his monkey before anyone else gets bitten.
(via: Conservative Tribune)
