Caught Old Saybrook monkey highlights dangers of owning exotic pets in state

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. (WTNH) — An Old Saybrook resident made a startling discovery in his shed last night and it turns out what he found wasn’t supposed to be in this state.

“He was right here,” Dan O’Connell said.

He was surprised, confused and even a little scared when he saw what was staring back at him.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be attacked or what,” O’Connell said. “It just looked crazy.”

At first, O’Connell said he thought it was a bat and then realized it was a small monkey.

“It’s probably some species of marmoset,” said Jenny Dickson, the wildlife division director for the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “We’re still working on the exact identification of the species.”

Dickson said it is illegal to have a primate as a pet in Connecticut as they pose a threat to the well-being of humans.

“Concern about zoonotic diseases and disease transmission to humans is very real,” Dickson said.

She added that owning illegal animals can also be harmful to the animal if it doesn’t get the proper care, which can be expensive at times.

“Because they do live a long time that’s a long time commitment that most people are not able to make for the animal,” Dickson said.

Some exotic animals are also poached from their natural environment and illegally traded.

“That absolutely can have a devastating effect on populations,” Dickson said. “The other thing it does is spread wildlife diseases all around the globe.”

The man who owned the monkey came forward last night and helped Environmental Conservation Police Officers capture it.

“I mean, I feel sorry for the owners because you could tell that they really cared for it a lot,” Barbara Parkinson said, whose partner found the monkey in their shed.

EnCon police have taken possession of the monkey and are conducting an investigation.

“They showed me the picture and I was like, ‘Oh my! Good God, I’m never going in the shed again,'” Parkinson said.

To see a list of other animals that are illegal to own as pets in Connecticut, check out our story here.

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