Thieves steal monkey from San Francisco Zoo

Someone broke into an exhibit and stole a monkey from the San Francisco Zoo, the zoo discovered Friday morning.

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The one-foot-tall squirrel monkey's name is "Banana-Sam." He is 17 years old and weighs about two pounds.

The vandals apparently cut through a zoo gate overnight. Then they got onto the roof of the primate exhibits. The zoo found two holes cut through the mesh net where Banana-Sam was stolen.

Read the original story at NBCBayArea.com

Although he appears cute and cuddly, Banana-Sam has very sharp teeth and will not hesitate to bite if provoked, according to Zoo staff. His bites can easily cause infections. The monkey also eats very particular food.

?This was a criminal act of vandalism and trespassing and we are working with the police to identify the perpetrators,? said Tanya Peterson, President and Executive Director of the San Francisco Zoological Society.

Squirrel monkeys are not endangered, but they are sometimes found in illegal pet trade markets. They are also used in medical research.

Friday afternoon, someone claiming to be Banana-Sam started a Twitter account under the user name @SF_BananaSam. The user claims to be an escapee from the zoo and has almost 80 followers as of 2:30 p.m.

"Heading for something called the "Rainforest Cafe," @SF_BananaSam tweeted. "Sounds promising!"

A little later came this tweet: "OMG YOU GUYS RAINFOREST CAFE IS NOT WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. It's basically an Applebee's with a 'Sounds of the Jungle' CD playing. I'm out."

Anyone with information about the actual Banana-Sam should call the San Francisco Police Department at 415-553-8090.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45827900/ns/us_news-life/

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