One day after a monkey escaped its cage and ran amok around a Seminole County neighborhood, that monkey is now looking for a new place to call home.
Back inside his cage at his owner's home on Sugar Maple Court, in Sanford, Zeke the makak monkey won't be comfy there for too much longer.
After Zeke escaped Sunday and ran through his neighborhood, even biting a neighbor, Zeke's owner has decided enough is enough.
Sanford police said despite all their training over the years, they can never be too prepared for an incident like Sunday's.
"This is a larger primate, and it's not like a squirrel monkey or some small animal -- he's a good size animal," said Sanford police Lt. Jim McAuliffe.
Given the unpredictable nature of monkeys like Zeke, experts at the Central Florida Zoo, also in Sanford, said the best place for an exotic animal like this is a secure refuge.
That's where Zeke will be headed after he is handed over from Sanford Animal Control in the next few days.
"Primates live very long lives, so people need to be aware of that," said Bonnie Breitbeil, director of animal collections at the Central Florida Zoo. "I mean, they could be looking at a pet that's going to outlive them."
Animals experts said they see this sort of thing far too often, and it's the strict requirements they demand that can sometimes be overlooked, causeing things to get out of hand.
"They need lots of things to do, so lots of stimulation, lots of enrichment and things you can do for them," said Beitbeil. "It's not a pet for the faint of heart."
Zeke's owner had the proper permits to own the monkey, but said he had gotten out of his cage several other times over the last few weeks.
Like any pet owner, he said he's going to have a tough time saying goodbye to a friend he's had for more than four years, but he added the animal refuge will be the best place for Zeke.