20 Nov 2012
A Patas monkey at the Boise Zoo in Idaho died from blunt force trauma to the head on Saturday after two men spotted by security guards, one inside and one standing outside, ran from the scene . It is not clear what the men were doing or why they were at the facility, but police had hoped that a grey baseball hat with the design of a skull and wings on the right front that was left behind by one of the assailants can help catch these two horrible, awful men.
Their hope and diligence in pursuing the matter paid off when a tip came in that 22 year old Michael J. Watkins was reported to have been wearing a similar hat earlier that night. Watkins had later sought medical attention for injuries to his upper torso, with medical officials saying that his story of how he received those injuries didn’t seem to add up.
Watkins is currently in custody, though officials haven’t had a chance to question him yet. Reportedly, Watkins has a history of criminal offenses, most of which are drug offenses. It is unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the attack. The other man who was with Watkins who stood outside will not be charged.
A necropsy performed by the zoo’s veterinarian showed that severe trauma to the head and the neck were the causes of death. Zoo officials are unclear whether the remaining Patas monkeys will be sent to another zoo or if more Patas monkeys will be brought into the Boise zoo, as the Patas is an extremely social animal and the death of their friends has been devastating.
I don’t know what kind of ass breaks into a zoo and kills a monkey, but if it’s you, Michael J. Watkins, you deserve a lifetime sentence of scraping the poop-filled floors of monkey habitats with your tongue.
