Police called to deal with monkey performing gymnastics at side of German Autobahn

Police had some trouble luring a capuchin monkey after someone reported that it was "doing gymnastics" next to the Autobahn in western Germany.

Two officers were a bit perplexed and sceptical about a report on Tuesday afternoon that there was a "monkey doing gymnastics on a guardrail" of the Autobahn near the Rheine-Nord exit. But when the officers arrived, they realised the report was completely true.



They discovered the little capuchin monkeying about on a soundproofing wall on the roadway towards Amsterdam. The officers called a nearby zoo to see if they were missing such an animal, but they were fully stocked. The officers then discovered that a family in the area had a licence to own the furry creatures.

Despite their best efforts at luring it with chocolate, officers were unable to entice the monkey down from a tree it had hopped into. In the end, they had no option but to call a licensed hunter who shot the creature with a tranquilizer dart. Once the anesthesia had taken effect on the monkey they were able to retrieve him. Police said it is still not clear how the monkey got onto the motorway.