Is Minnesota’s Stolen Monkey Story A Daring Hoax? Police Investigate
Last week news of the Tuesday, April 4 theft of Coco Chanel, a capuchin monkey, spread fast. But things have changed and it sounds like law enforcement might be skeptical of the whole story.
Friday, police discovered Coco was NOT stolen from a Cub Foods parking lot in Maplewood, Minnesota as was reported. Coco was taken in North St. Paul.
According to Maplewood police, the monkey was left alone in a car around 8:30 PM while the person that was supposed to be watching CoCo went inside Cub.
The information later changed to "taken in North St. Paul." According to the City of Maplewood, the woman who reported the theft is the monkey's caretaker, not its owner.
In the Pioneer Press, "St. Paul police Sgt Ray Rozales said Friday night, “We’re working alongside Maplewood police to try and get the facts straight because it sounds like some things just aren’t lining up...It sounds like a lot of monkey business to me.”
Rozales urged anyone with information about Coco’s whereabouts to contact North St. Paul at 651-767-0640.
Isn't Owning A Monkey Against the Law In Minnesota?
It sure is. There are very few exotic animals you can own in the State of Minnesota. In fact, there's just one you can own. The African Crested Porcupine.
Do you want a porcupine? This is the kind you can have in Minnesota. Wikipedia says they seldom climb trees, roam around at night, and are monogamous. Sure, they'll release their quills if they get really mad, but it'll stamp its feet first. A porcu-tantrum? Speaking of tantrums, baby porcupines are PORCUPETTES. Read More: Exotic Animals You Can Own In Minnesota, WI, SD, ND, and IA.
As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com
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