South Carolina Escaped Monkey Captured Thanks To A Cup Of Coffee

Typically, something like a banana or a handful of peanuts would be the temptation of choice for an escaped monkey, but it turns out a nice, sweet cup of hot coffee will do the trick, too.

Ava the spidermonkey is usually kept close to its owner using a long leash. However, during the Eutawville Crappie Classic and Fall Fest, she escaped and went on a little walkabout. It came down to the residents to go on a hunt for the escaped monkey and figure out how to catch it again.

Monkey Business: When Ava made her escape, she decided to take a look around the small South Carolina town. Mayor Brandon Weatherford and his wife, Laura, teamed up with Casey Hill, a town clerk, to catch her.

• They hunted high and low for the mischievous monkey, and it didn’t take long to find her. The spidermonkey wasn’t being quiet and was easily located by all her shouting. “She was hollering,” Hill recalled. “You could tell she was scared.”
• It appeared the monkey was out doing its chores. They noted, on their hunt, that she had visited both a restaurant and the local barber shop. This is where the team spotted her. However, she quickly darted across the road to the local bank.

Tempted by Coffee

Despite the screaming of the distressed monkey, Hill kept her cool and thought about the situation logically. They had forgotten any bananas, and nobody spoke spidermonkey. But Hill did have a nice fresh coffee to hand, and that was just what the monkey wanted.

• Gingerly creeping forward, she peeled the lid from the hot coffee, placed it on the floor, and stepped back from the escaped monkey. Curious as ever, Ava slowly approached and had a sniff. Something about the freshly brewed beans worked for her, and she took a sip.
• Seeing her chance, Hill stepped on the long, dangling leash. Ava realised what had happened and took to screaming and jumping about.

However, the monkey’s escapades were over. Drawn by the commotion, the monkey’s owner came forward and claimed her back. They promised to keep a better eye on her next time.