Indiana 3-year-old scratched by monkey inside Walmart

BEDFORD, Ind. — A 3-year-old is recovering after being scratched this week by a monkey inside a central Indiana Walmart store.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday afternoon inside the Walmart Supercenter at 3200 John A. Williams Blvd. in Bedford. Local police responded to the incident.

Bedford Police Chief Terry Moore confirmed Friday that a 3-year-old was scratched by a 16-year-old Java Macaque monkey at Walmart. Chief Moore said that the parents of the child declined medical treatment at the scene.

In an email to FOX59/CBS4 sent Thursday night, a woman identifying herself as the child’s mother said that the monkey’s owner showed paperwork for an “emotional support animal.” However, she said the paperwork was actually registered to a dog.

The monkey was reportedly wearing a diaper and had a leash attached to its waist. A photo of the monkey, provided by an anonymous viewer, can be seen below:

“A pet macaque that should’ve never been in the store.. scratched and hurt my baby for no reason and the animal wasn’t even seized,” the woman wrote. “We weren’t facing it, didn’t even know it was in the store.. had no snacks and in no way provoked it.”

The woman said she is now hoping that Indiana lawmakers change the rules surrounding pet animals being allowed in public, saying she hopes wild animals are more regulated.

It is unclear if a police report was filed. Bedford PD did not provide any further information.

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