Two emperor tamarin monkeys who authorities believe were taken from the Dallas Zoo were found Tuesday inside a closet at an abandoned home, officials said.
A tip led authorities to the home in Lancaster, south of Dallas, where they discovered the animals shortly before 5 p.m., the Dallas Police Department said in a statement.
No arrests have been made and an investigation into their disappearance is ongoing, the department said.
The animals were returned to the zoo and staff will evaluate them Tuesday night, a zoo spokeswoman said.
The announcement came hours after the department asked for help identifying a person in connection with the missing animals.
Their disappearance was the latest in a series of suspicious incidents at the zoo. Investigators found an intentional cut in their habitat Monday and believe they were taken, the police department said.
On Jan. 21, a 35-year-old endangered vulture, Pin, was found dead with what authorities have described as an “unusual wound.” The animal’s cause of death has not been determined.
On Jan. 13, Nova, a 3-year-old clouded leopard, escaped her wire mesh enclosure after an incision was made in it, authorities have said. The cat, who the zoo said posed no danger to the public, was found later that day.
A similar cut was also found in the zoo’s langur monkey habitat, police said. No animals escaped or were taken or harmed.
It isn’t clear if the incidents are linked. The zoo has tightened security measures, adding more overnight guards and cameras.
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