Three spot-nosed guenon monkeys are dead after domestic dogs entered the BREC Baton Rouge Zoo, killed two of the monkeys and severely injured a third on Tuesday morning, a zoo spokeswoman says.
The third monkey—an 18-year-old male—had to be euthanized due to his injuries, says Kaki Heiligenthal, a BREC spokesperson. The other two deceased monkeys are a 22-year-old male and a 29-year-old female.
Heiligenthal says the zoo is investigating details surrounding the death of the monkeys.
She says surveillance video shows a couple of domestic dogs inside the zoo early Tuesday. The dogs made their way over to the two spot-nosed guenon exhibits, she says. The dogs were not able to enter the exhibits, but they were able to get close enough to guenons so that when the monkeys reached out, the dogs were able to grab them.
The injuries caused by the dogs were fatal, Heiligenthal says. Zoo staff found the 22-year-old male and the 29-year-old female dead Tuesday morning.
Heiligenthal says the zoo checked its perimeters less than two weeks ago, and does so regularly. Zoo staffers are investigating how the dogs entered the zoo with the intent of capturing them.
This year, the zoo has lost a Malayan tiger; a baby golden lion tamarin, which is a small monkey; and two of its four giraffes.
A spot-nosed guenon monkey is a medium-sized monkey that is native to Africa.
