Wild capuchin monkey on loose in Ireland after escaping from sanctuary: ‘He’ll bite you'

Rescued over 20 years ago from a British lab, Charlie, a Capuchin monkey, is now roaming the Irish wilderness after escaping from Monkey Sanctuary Ireland in Rathdrum, located about 40 miles south of Dublin, as reported by The Irish Times.

While Charlie's owner, Willie Heffernan, believes the South American monkey can survive in the Irish woods, he expresses concern about the potential risk of Charlie being hit by a car. He cautioned that if anyone encounters Charlie, they should avoid approaching him, emphasizing that Charlie won't attack unless someone attempts to pick him up, he might bite or nip, behaving like a feral cat.

“He’s not a pet, he’s never been petted so he’s not used to that,” he added.

“I would put food in a pulley-bucket and I’ll wheel it overhead to the island, that’s the only contact [he has]. And cleaning out and if he needs any veterinary care,” he continued.

How did Charlie escape?

According to Heffernan, Charlie made his escape by running over a fallen tree while sanctuary staff were in the process of relocating him and another monkey.

The sanctuary, featured in The Irish Times, houses 25 monkeys, the majority of whom were rescued from labs and now experience freedom to swing through trees after spending most of their lives in cages.

Despite the notable climate difference from their native habitat, the Capuchins at the sanctuary live comfortably in insulated enclosures, equipped with heat lamps during winter. They also enjoy the added luxury of classical music playing over the radio.

Heffernan's concern

“The only unfortunate thing is he wouldn’t be aware of traffic and he looks exactly like a cat so he could easily be killed crossing the road,” he said.

“And also it’s the hunting season and he likes sitting up on top of trees with no leaves so he’s a prime target,” he added.