Monkey Business: Puzzled Dispatchers Realize Monkey Called 911 from Cell Phone at Zoo
Was it a simple case of “monkey see, monkey do?” or did the children’s board book “Good-night Gorilla” come to life?
Police at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office were experiencing a typical Saturday night until they began getting 911 calls that disconnected.
All 911 calls are taken seriously. Government guidance from 911 is that if you or a child calls accidentally, don’t hang up so dispatchers don’t send someone to your home to investigate.
The advisory may need to be updated. It doesn’t even mention monkeys!
On this particular night, the officers attempted to call back the caller and even tried texting but received no response. That’s when they dispatched officers to investigate.
According to a post on their Facebook page, “The address took them to the offices of Zoo to You near Paso Robles. No one there had placed the call. Was someone trying to make us look like a monkey’s uncle? Then they all realized… it must have been Route the Capuchin monkey.”
Apparently, the zoo’s cell phone had been left in a golf cart used to motor around the 40-acre site.
“We’re told Capuchin monkeys are very inquisitive and will grab anything and everything and just start pushing buttons.” Route managed to fumble on precisely the right (or wrong) combination of numbers to make the emergency call!
News outlets around the country, eager to give readers a smile, have shared the story.
A CNN article indicates that “the South American monkeys are known for being intelligent and easy to train, which makes them popular as pets.”
But the professionals at the zoo warn that an important lesson from this incident is that these are NOT great pets.
Ross, the character on sitcom Friends, who had a Capuchin monkey as a pet, was just acting. The monkey had its own trainer to wrangle him and keep him (and everyone’s cell phone) safe!
The Conservation Ambassadors – Zoo to You stated on their Facebook page, “Route made national news! While we wish it was for something a little more ‘conservation education’ based, let this serve as an educational lesson that monkeys are NOT animals that should be kept as pets! They’re so inquisitive you never know what might happen!”
While this situation worked out to provide just a chuckle to the officers and readers everywhere, no doubt the zoo is now keeping a closer watch on both their cell phones and Route!
It’s better for everyone if he keeps his monkeying around away from making emergency calls!
