DALLAS — Dallas police are searching for a person of interest believed to be connected to the two emperor tamarin monkeys that went missing from the Dallas Zoo.
Officials said they believe the monkeys may have been taken.
In an update Tuesday, Dallas police released an image and surveillance video of the person of interest. Anyone with information on the pictured individual, or in the case is asked to call Detective Edwin Saracay at 214-671-4509 or at Edwin.saracay@dallaspolice.gov.
In a statement, the zoo said its animal care team discovered on Monday morning that the two primates were missing from their habitat.
"It was clear the habitat had been intentionally compromised," the zoo said.
According to the zoo, crews searched the monkeys' habitat and the zoo grounds but did not locate them. Dallas police were called in to assist and believe through an initial investigation that the monkeys were taken, according to the zoo. Dallas police said that employees reported the monkeys' enclosure had been cut open.
The missing emperor tamarin monkeys are the fourth suspicious event to have occurred at the zoo within just a month.
On Jan. 21, an endangered vulture was found dead from a "suspicious" wound, which is under investigation.
The police department is also investigating fencing that appeared to be intentionally cut at the habitats for the clouded leopards and Langur monkeys. One of the clouded leopards escaped on Friday, Jan. 13, and was eventually found on the zoo grounds.