Mischievous monkey swipes cellphone, calls 911 at California sanctuary

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Sheriff's deputies responding to a 911 call from a wildlife sanctuary in California were surprised to discover the call had apparently been placed by an inquisitive capuchin monkey.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that dispatchers received a 911 call this week that quickly disconnected, and attempts to call the number back were not answered.

Deputies went to the source of the call, Paso wildlife sanctuary Zoo to You, but workers said they were unaware of any emergency calls placed from the facility.

Deputies and zoo staff continued to investigate and were eventually able to identify the likely caller: a capuchin monkey named Route.

The sheriff's office said Route had apparently gotten a hold of a zoo cellphone kept in a golf cart and either dialed 911 or used the phone's emergency call function.

"We're told capuchin monkeys are very inquisitive and will grab anything and everything and just start pushing buttons," the sheriff's office said.