Monkey stolen on Easter found, reunited with zoo lover

Ruma the monkey, stolen from Leipzig Zoo on Easter, has returned to the zoo. The animal was found on Thursday morning in the Reudnitz district of Leipzig. A resident of Leipzig noticed a monkey in a tree.

The animal care team brought a 15-year-old female named Ruma back to the zoo. The monkey was stolen from the enclosure during a burglary on the night from Saturday to Easter Sunday, reports the ZDF website.

The animal (Bartaffe, a lion-headed macaque) returned weakened but otherwise unharmed, the zoo said.

On Thursday morning, a runner reported to the police. He said he spotted a monkey in a tree, police spokesman, Olaf Hoppe said. The zoo team left immediately. In the meantime, the monkey ran into a nearby apartment block and was caught in the stairwell.

ALSO READ: Monkeys have rights in this city, but residents are officially tired of them

Police will now extend their investigation to the Reudnitz district where the monkey was found. The animal was likely released near where it was found, said the zoo's senior curator, Johannes Pfleiderer. Although the monkey could move from tree to tree on its own, it is unlikely that it would have traveled several kilometers across the city.

The police are investigating a suspected particularly serious theft.

Ruma is back with her 12-year-old partner Yenur. "You can see she's happy to be back home," the zoo said.

"Lion macaques cannot survive alone," said monkey expert and behaviorist, Patrick van Veen, quoted by the Bild. So the quick success of the search probably saved both monkeys' lives.

This article was originally published on Onet Travel.