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Subscribe to RSSPolice arrested an Idaho man who is accused of breaking into a Boise zoo and killing a monkey. KTVB's Kim Fields reports.
Police have arrested one of two men who they believe broke into an Idaho zoo the night a monkey there died from blunt-force trauma, but questions remain about how and why the animal was killed.
Michael J. Watkins, 22, of Weiser, Idaho was arrested Monday in Washington County on felony burglary and grand theft charges.
A tip led police to Watkins after they identified a hat found in the monkey's enclosure as similar to one Watkins was wearing the night two intruders were spotted at Zoo Boise. A security guard frightened away the intruders, then discovered the gravely injured patas monkey, which died a short time later.
Masterson said at a news conference Monday evening that Watkins sought care at a hospital for injuries to his upper torso sometime after the early Saturday incident. The story he gave to hospital staff "did not seem to mesh up with the injuries," Masterson said.
The monkey's death has left zoo workers shocked and devastated, zoo director Steve Burns said. The Crime Stoppers organization offered an award of up to $1,000 for information leading to the culprits' arrest.
Investigators had not had a chance to question Watkins extensively and have not revealed whether they think the zoo break-in was a prank that turned violent or something done with more sinister intent. But the police department and community are "angered and outraged over this senseless crime," Masterson said.
"The loss of this patas monkey has touched many lives, including our officers and investigators," he said.
The zoo doesn't have surveillance video. Instead, security guards patrol the grounds when the zoo is closed.
Burns said the guard who discovered the crime spotted one intruder inside the zoo and one outside the perimeter fence near the primate exhibit. Both men fled, with one running into the interior of the zoo.
Previous record
Investigators believe Watkins is the man who was seen inside the fence.
Burns and police were searching the grounds when Burns heard a groan and found the injured monkey outside its exhibit, near the fence surrounding the zoo. They were able to get the animal into a crate and to the zoo's animal hospital, but the monkey died of blunt-force trauma to its head and neck just a few minutes later.
An inventory showed none of the other animals were missing or harmed.
Monkey dies from blow to head after break-in at Idaho zoo; police find ballcap
Police say Watkins was visiting Boise with friends over the weekend from his home in Weiser, an agricultural town about 60 miles away near the Oregon-Idaho border.
Court records show Watkins has been in trouble with the law before, including drug arrests. Police said they do not know whether Watkins may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the break-in.
Officers have spoken with the other man spotted outside the zoo but do not expect charges to be filed against him, Masterson said.
Crimes at the zoo are rare, Burns said.
"I've been here for 15 years, and I don't remember any cases where we've had a visitor intentionally or even accidentally injure an animal," Burns said. "People in Boise are usually pretty respectful. We were just saying the other day that we can't even remember the last time that someone was found inside the zoo after hours. The security guards do a really good job."
Burns said it will take a few weeks before he can decide if the remaining patas monkey will be sent to another zoo or if another patas monkey will be brought in as a companion.
“Because monkeys are social animals we are concerned about the welfare of the remaining animal,” Burns said.
'We're going to move on'
The crime may have raised interest in the patas monkeys. A donation for the one remaining male patas monkey under the zoo's adopt-an-animal program came in over the weekend, Burns said.
Patas monkeys, found in Africa, are around 2.5 feet tall and typically weigh around 35 pounds.
The monkey exhibit remains open to the public, although zoo workers were keeping some of the larger garage-sized doors to the exhibit closed to keep down noise, and keepers were giving the remaining patas monkey a little more attention, Burns said. The zoo kicked off a fundraiser to build a new exhibit house for the primates in September.
"That primate house was built back in the 1960s and it's just time to update it and provide the animals with more space and things like that," he said.
For now, he said, zoo workers are just focusing on caring for the remaining 300 animals at the zoo.
"We're going to grieve for the animal and make sure the community's OK. But we're going to move on with the plans that we have and continue to take care of the animals. Boise's a really nice place to live, and usually this kind of stuff doesn't happen in Boise," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
If he is convicted. What a sick individual. At sentencing, I hope the judge gives him the maximum sentence.
Sentence him to 30 days in the big monkey Gorilla cage and let nature take it's course.
Torture, bullying and murder of animals is a misdemeanor in most of the U.S. Until it is a felony, carrying an appropriate mandatory sentence, the guys who get their kicks out of hurting helpless pets and mostly tame, domesticated zoo animals will just keep on, generation after sick generation. While the military, clearly, doesn't need any more nut bags, a case can be made for part of the sentence to be a stint in some branch of the military gain the discipline and respect they were never taught by their likely equally damaged parents. Putting an end to that dysfunctional family cycle is the only way to truly restore order to society in any long term fashion. This country has too many like that.
Gorillas are too unpredictable, You never know if it will rip him into peices or attempt to care for him, like a child. Put him in with baboons. Their predictable.
What is the maximum sentence for spanking the monkey?
Please tell us Denver Bill, I am sure yours was beaten today.
Lions den, Case Closed.
Tell your sister "Thanks" for me.
ill bet it goes something like this ---- they were at the zoo earlier in the day maybe a little drinking a little ghanga --- then they think it would be a good idea to kidnap one of the monkeys -- you know maybe a prank or to keep as a pet ---- they break in try to grab the monkey -- it bites one of them ....he gets really angry and strikes the little simian over the noggin' --- things start going horribley wrong -- the guard shows up ---- now we have scared injured humans a dead monkey and lots of people standing around asking why? just why? ...but thats usually how it happens -- a slow slide toward disaster -- I'll bet these knuckleheads have had run-ins with the law in the past.
If we're making guesse based on a picture and mean, really mean, mistreatment of a small animal. With no other real evidence, then my guess is booze and meth. And things went horribly wrong with these creeps well before they got to Boise.
I suspect you are right. They probably figured out they could either steal that monkey and sell it, or maybe keep it for a pet. Waking up a monkey and trying to take it out of its cage wasn't as easy as they thought, and when the monkey freaked out the guy threw it across the room. I do hope the punishment is appropriate for the crimes.
This makes me absolutely sick. Crimes we see today are unprecedented. What's happening to this world??? They need to throw the book at this vile human being, who happens to share 98% of his own DNA with what he so callously killed.
For the hundredth time...the world is actually far less violent than in past times. It is only the endless media cycle that causes many to assume the opposite.
This is an event caused by little more than human stupidity. That poor little monkey probably had close to the mental capacity of its killer. Hopefully they can convict this guy and give him the max time for each individual crime.
I just wish the consequences weren't only 'grand theft' and 'felony burglary'. He caused harm and death to an animal protected within a zoo, and technically to someone's property. Why can't the laws start to get tougher on these type of cases? And to those who like to enter conversations like these with 'get over it.. human life is more important' blah blah blah- though human lives may supercede animals' lives, it doesn't take away our responsibility towards other creatures on earth, and their rights to exist in our world without being bludgeoned to death and left to die a painful death. I hate people like him, and I hope the monkey left interesting monkey-bite marks on his torso.
Go tell it to the people of central Africa. Well-funded poaching organizations with advanced weaponry to the area has caused the poaching problem to escalate. Poachers from these organizations are heavily armed and dangerous to both animals and humans. Common materials poached from animals include hides, meat, furs, horns and tusks, all of which retrieve a high price in markets throughout the world.
I agree! Our laws for animal abuse should be much, much tougher!
It might have tried to steal the drugs the pair was stealing.
Too bad this idiot didn't try this with a fully grown adult chimpanzee! They'd still be looking for his hands and feet, nose and ears, and genitalia.
Perhaps that should be his punishment. Put him in a cage with adult chimps or gorillas. Let them "play" for a while.
Gangs of poachers came west from Sudan. Hides and meat were cut from the carcasses of lions, leopards, cheetah, hyena, buffalo and elephant.
It was horrible, a tour guide said, speaking to a film crew that later sold some of its footage to NPR. (Poachers used anti-tank weapons to blow the heads off elephants.) Forests and savannahs were burned to the ground. Groups of animals were killed en masse. The meat is smoked and shiped to crowded African cities, or to exotic restaurants in Asia and Europe.
Raymond,
the culprit it the asian market, their misguided belief it will give them potency and cure all kinds of ailments. They have no regard for anything living...........and I have absolutely no respect for them. As far as the law about animal cruelty, I try to do my part in writing congress people and local political people voicing my opinion on changes. And BIG changes we need to protect the innocent. They are living beings with feelings and we are responsible for their well-being.
People are just plain sick.
Put him the the gorilla cage (or other similiar large ape) overnite. If he survives fine-if not-oh well.
I don't live in an under-developed country where animals are viewed either as food, competition to their food or sources of wealth for the poaching market. Neither does Michael Watkins- instead we are quite fortunate to BE put in a position of making the right choices regarding our animals and our environment. I can't do anything more for the hunted animals in Africa than what I already do- donate monthly to five animal charities internationally and hope that my funds are being used to help in the fight against all of this. When my friend came back from Albania with a photograph of a small bear dragged around town on a leash, I tracked down the best charity to contact with regards to that area and sent them the photo prominently displaying the man holding the leash along with the popular tourist corner he was touting on. This is the best I can do. However, a wealthy, leading nation in our world can do BETTER by providing tougher laws to address what happens on its own rich soil, at the very least.
google Patas Monkey and look at the images--these are really beautiful pumpkin-russet-colored monkeys with long tails that dwell in arid areas and live on the ground in very large groups. I remember them from my time working at the Oregon Zoo back in the 1970s. We will need to fight to protect what is left of Earth's beauty and biodiversity so that future generations can have the chance to see species like this in the wild. Hope the guy gets more than a slap on the wrist--a completely senseless act of cruelty on a higher primate is not generally a sign of good character and intentions. And for you anti-abortionists, no, I don't care more about human fetuses.
the article doesnt mention it but why didnt the zoo administration provide safety glasses to all monkeys? this was a tragedy waiting to happen and could have been avoided had the victim been provided osha approved safety glasses. god speed monkey.
The writer of this article should have included a link to the Idaho Zoological Society in Boise, Idaho, to make it easier for people to donate to the monkey enclosure.
I just did! I hope they build a bigger safer one.
This guy and his friend need to be prosecuted to the absolute fullest extent of the law. Whatever the maximum is, they better get it.
needless, senseless, heartless.
Jackass acting more inhumane than the animals.
Give the monkey a flashlight and a pistol and maybe this wont happen again. Besides, those monkeys are eaten by humans everyday in Africa
These two morons are typical young white trash these days. For punishment I would cut their balls off and make sure these two dummies don't ever have a chance to breed!!! Either give up the nuts or 25 years in the penitentiary !!!!
What a sick, twisted, sorry excuse for a human being! He's a "real" man; beat and killed a defenseless animal. Hope he gets a stiff jail sentence. Loser!
Raymond, see if you can focus, this disgusting act did not occur in Africa. That is a different story. Do you think these "men" went into the zoo because they were hungry, or they were involved in illegal animal parts trade? what is your point? Whatever it is, you have missed the point of this particular story. And as for Michael Watkins, this probably isn't his first time abusing an animal. More times than not, people like him go on to abuse spouses, children and anyone else that they think they need to show their "superiority" over. This is sickening.
The perp probably found out that monkeys can be pretty dangerous. Sure, the monkey lost, but it sounds like he tore the guy up bad enough to put him in a hospital.
Throw the book at him. Charge him with everything they can think of and then some.
There are two kinds of thieves in the world. One does it because they NEED to do it, and the others do it because they WANT to do it... this guy, broke into a zoo for what? .. killed a monkey .. for what? ... personal financial gain? .. I don't think so... this guy is less evolved than the monkey.
unbelievable... this kinda $&!t makes you want to puke knowing humans can do such things. Truth be told, i'm quite dissappointed in the human race on the low end.
You and me both, Cavemanstyle. I wonder if he made his mommy and daddy proud that night!
Sick sick sick Bastar*. I hope the monkey fought back and scratched the hell out of him so he ends up with a Herpes B infection of the brain or monkey pox, and dies a slow painful death
It's incredibly sad that human beings can be so incredibly beautiful and so incredibly ugly -- and this guy is one of the ugly ones.
If this is what he's doing -- I'm wondering what his past has to offer -- how long has he been beating or killing animals? Where is his family in all of this? I'm sure that's where part of the problem comes from....
AND, I agree -- it's against basic human rights but some people just shouldn't be allowed to procreate and this is a prime example. Of course, you do that and it becomes a very slippery slope.....
turn him over to Pita.
6 months working at an animal shelter cleaning cages.
I think it would be more appropriate cleaning enclosures at a zoo.
The poop is bigger there. And I'd rather see 6 years instead of 6 months, plus restitution to the zoo to get and feed another patas. Of course he'd have to have a guard standing over him the entire time to make sure he doesn't kill any more animals. POS! Good thing I wasn't in Idaho before they arrested him.
Unfortunately, he probably won't serve much time because it was an animal that he killed. That POS meth head should be made to clean out the cages for a year. I hope the other monkeys there throw their excrement at him while he cleans their cages.