WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Living in Surf City, Angela Wolfe is used to seeing dogs, alligators, and the occasional tourist. However, Thursday afternoon she saw something just bananas.
“There was a lady, and I asked her what was going on. She said ‘You’ll never guess but there’s a monkey loose,’” Wolfe said. ”That’s when we realized it was not going to be a typical day at the beach.”
Surf City Police say a vacationer’s pet monkey went missing after it escaped from its cage. Its owners were staying in a rental property on 8th Street. The monkey traveled several blocks before eventually being caught near Wolfe’s house.
“You could hear her screaming,” Wolfe said. “He [animal control worker] was carrying her. She had a onesie on and a diaper. She looked so scared, but she was so precious.”
Police then reunited the monkey with its owners. Wolfe thought the excitement was over, but then she checked her Ring Doorbell camera footage.
“I was going through my ring footage and I saw that all the police were coming into our yard and I saw that the monkey came through and was sitting on our back deck,” Wolfe said. “I had just been outside just a little while prior to that with our dog. I couldn’t imagine being outside and watching a monkey come into our yard.”
City officials say they learned additional details when they returned the monkey.
“The monkey’s name is Claire,” Surf City’s public information officer Kellie Cannon said. “She’s very sweet, very smart, and wanted to get out and see our beautiful island.”
Cannon said this event served as a lesson for everyone living in the area.
“If they ever do spot a wild animal, contact 911 right away and we will get officers and animal control out there,” Cannon said. “Do not approach an animal like this because you don’t know its demeanor.”
Wolfe said she was impressed with the way officials handled the situation.
“I’m grateful that the police were here and they did a great job getting her, without hurting her and they were very sympathetic to the owners and the monkey,” Wolfe said. “They did a great job.”
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