Owner of IKEA monkey says she wants him back
The baby monkey who was caught wandering outside a Toronto IKEA store this weekend was very attached to his owner and would get panic attacks every time she was out of sight, a woman who considered him part of the family said Tuesday.
Yasmin Nakhuda said she’s concerned about the tiny primate’s wellbeing and is consulting a lawyer to see if she can regain custody of the “pet” she called Darwin.
Nakhuda said she initially tried to return the monkey to the breeder who supplied him, but changed her mind after hearing his heartbroken cries.
After that, she said the monkey was near her at all times.
“At the beginning, I was told that was the best for him because generally, monkeys live off the back of the mom,” she said.
The young monkey captured worldwide attention after he some- how let himself out of a parked car Sunday and ambled around the IKEA parking lot dressed in a fitted shearling coat.
He was eventually captured by animal control officers and was moved on Monday to a primate sanctuary about 100 kilometres northeast of Toronto.
Nakhuda was fined $240 for breaking the city’s prohibited-animal bylaw.
Animal law experts said the Toronto woman would likely face an uphill battle if she took legal action to regain ownership of the animal.
Lesli Bisgould, who teaches animal law at the University of Toronto law school, said any such action could hinge upon what exactly was agreed to when Nakhuda gave the monkey to animal services.