Three rare monkeys are stolen from park

THREE rare monkeys worth up to £ 15,000 have been stolen from a wildlife park.

One male and two f emale cotton-top tamarins were taken from Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park in Kirkcudbright overnight between Thursday and Friday.

The monkeys are dark brown and white, about 12in tall, with white manes which taper to a mohawk above the head.

The South American primates are an endangered species and there are fears they will struggle to survive outside the park due to the freezing temperatures.

They could be worth between £3,000 and £5,000 each if sold as

Could be worth up to £15,000

pets. Constable Lee-Ann Hawker said: ‘The monkeys are small and friendly and eat things such as leaves, fruit, spiders and insects. They are no danger to the public.

‘ We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity around the wildlife park, which is closed, over Thursday/Friday.

‘We want to hear of any sightings of the monkeys in the area. We are treating this matter as a theft at this stage as they were being kept under lock and key.’

The small, family- run park closed to the public last year.

Some animals were re-homed but others remained at the facility, which now operates as a private collection under the remit of the Galloway Wildlife Conservation Trust.