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Jesse Joe · 04-25-2008, 06:54 AM

by JEFF DUCHARME
canadaeast news service

SAINT JOHN - Jack Hanna, well known for his appearances on TV talk shows trying to educate people about wild animals, says Wednesday's theft of a callimico Goeldi monkey is akin to stealing the rarest of rare paintings.

"It's like stealing a Rembrandt," Hanna said yesterday from California, where he was getting ready to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
"It's worse than that."
Thieves broke into the monkey house at the Cherry Brook Zoo in the early morning hours Wednesday and stole April, a baby monkey that was born there as part of an endangered species program last year.
"The point is, what are they going to do with it? They can't breed it," said the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio and TV show host.
Hanna said the zoo should take further steps to secure the remaining three monkeys because the thieves could return looking for a breeding partner.
Trying to get the monkey out of Canada, he said, would be an almost impossible task.
"It's like taking a huge bazooka through airport security. I would try any of that stuff before I try and sell a Goeldi monkey. I can't describe how difficult that would be."
With only 1,000 of the monkeys in the wild and captivity, Hanna called it a huge blow considering the female monkey was on the verge of sexual maturity.
"To me, extinction of an animal is more critical than a Rembrandt," Hanna said. "So you can't put a value on this loss.
Linda Collrin, the director of Cherry Brook Zoo, said she spent Wednesday night listening to the thunder and lightning storm wondering if the tiny monkey was safe. She woke up yesterday hoping to find a box on her doorstep with the monkey inside. "People are looking and we need to keep (the issue) out there," she said.
Hanna said he'll help spread the word.
"The zoo world will know about it immediately, because as of right now I'm going to start telling people about it," Hanna said.
"You won't be able to sell it to anybody."

04-25-2008, 06:54 AM	#2
Jesse Joe Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 6,862	Re: Baby monkey stolen by JEFF DUCHARME canadaeast news service SAINT JOHN - Jack Hanna, well known for his appearances on TV talk shows trying to educate people about wild animals, says Wednesday's theft of a callimico Goeldi monkey is akin to stealing the rarest of rare paintings. "It's like stealing a Rembrandt," Hanna said yesterday from California, where he was getting ready to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. "It's worse than that." Thieves broke into the monkey house at the Cherry Brook Zoo in the early morning hours Wednesday and stole April, a baby monkey that was born there as part of an endangered species program last year. "The point is, what are they going to do with it? They can't breed it," said the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio and TV show host. Hanna said the zoo should take further steps to secure the remaining three monkeys because the thieves could return looking for a breeding partner. Trying to get the monkey out of Canada, he said, would be an almost impossible task. "It's like taking a huge bazooka through airport security. I would try any of that stuff before I try and sell a Goeldi monkey. I can't describe how difficult that would be." With only 1,000 of the monkeys in the wild and captivity, Hanna called it a huge blow considering the female monkey was on the verge of sexual maturity. "To me, extinction of an animal is more critical than a Rembrandt," Hanna said. "So you can't put a value on this loss. Linda Collrin, the director of Cherry Brook Zoo, said she spent Wednesday night listening to the thunder and lightning storm wondering if the tiny monkey was safe. She woke up yesterday hoping to find a box on her doorstep with the monkey inside. "People are looking and we need to keep (the issue) out there," she said. Hanna said he'll help spread the word. "The zoo world will know about it immediately, because as of right now I'm going to start telling people about it," Hanna said. "You won't be able to sell it to anybody."