Capuchin monkey sparks police alert after calling 911 from cellphone

September 2, 2022

Talk about monkey business! On Saturday evening, August 13, the San Luis Obispo County, California, Sheriff’s Office followed up on a 911 call—only to discover that it was all the work of an inquisitive capuchin monkey called Route, reports People magazine.

“We received a 911 call that … disconnected,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on the following Monday. “Dispatchers tried to call and text back but they received no response.”

Deputies sent to check on the call later found themselves at the Zoo to You Conservation Ambassadors in Paso Robles. Upon investigation, however, it seemed like no one had placed the call. “Was someone trying to make us look like a monkey’s uncle?” the Sheriff’s Office joked Monday.

After speaking to Zoo to You staff, the authorities finally found the culprit. “They all realized … it must have been Route the Capuchin monkey,” the Sheriff’s Office added, noting the Route probably picked up the cellphone from a zoo golf cart and started randomly pushing buttons.

“We’re told Capuchin monkeys are very inquisitive and will grab anything and everything and just start pushing buttons,” the Sheriff’s Office continued. “And that’s what Route did … just so happened it was in the right combination of numbers to call us.”

Alongside the story, the Sheriff’s Office also shared two photos of little Route. “As you can tell from these photos, Route is a little embarrassed by the whole thing,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote. “But you can’t really blame her, after all monkey see, monkey do.”

Zoo to You confirmed the news on their own social media, writing “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!” Zoo to You added. “They’re so inquisitive you never know what might happen!”

Research contact: @people