The disappearance of three Cotton-top tamarin monkeys from the Galloway Conservation Centre in Kirkcudbright, Scotland is being looked into by police.
The monkeys vanished sometime between Thursday 4 and Friday 5 Jan and is being treated as a theft as it was said that the animals were kept under lock.
The primates are described as two males and one female, dark brown and white, roughly 12 inches tall with a distinctive white mohawk.
The police have said that the monkeys, which are native to South America, are an endangered species and need heat to survive.
They could be worth between £3000 to £5000 each if sold as pets.
PC Lee-Ann Hawker said: “The monkeys are small and friendly and eat things such as leaves fruit, spiders and insects. They are no danger to the public.
“We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity around the wildlife park, which is closed, over Thursday and Friday.
“We also want to hear of any sightings of the monkeys in the area. We are treating this matter as a theft at this stage as they were being kept under lock and key.”
