Ape-napped Sponge Bob shunned by troop

6:40am Monday 11th September 2006

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Chessington's most famous monkey has been moved to Battersea Zoo after failing to reintegrate with his troop.

Sponge Bob, who was stolen from Chessington World of Adventures in July, will move in with five young females after a settling-in period.

"The taunts he received from the other monkeys deeply upset him, so we separated him and had to make the devastating decision to find him a new home."

Head of mammals Sonia Freeman

The endangered monkey, much-loved at the Leatherhead Road park for his outgoing and cheeky nature, was returned after going missing for three days, but was rejected by his 10-strong troop.

One of the female monkeys bit his foot and the staff had to put him in a separate enclosure for his own safety.

As the only breeding male, staff decided to replace Sponge Bob with Van Gogh, another male monkey, to keep the breeding programme going.

Head of mammals Sonia Freeman said: "Sponge Bob has not had an easy time of it since the theft.

"The taunts he received from the other monkeys deeply upset him, so we separated him and had to make the devastating decision to find him a new home.

"This is a perfect example of why these animals are not suitable as pets."

Bob is a two-year-old Bolivian squirrel monkey who arrived at the park's zoo earlier this year as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.

He was born in a zoo in South Africa and was hand-reared from birth.

Sonia added: "Bob will be sorely missed by everyone at Chessington.

"He is a cheeky chappy with a great personality.

"Luckily he is not going far, so we can visit him often."

Unemployed Brixton man Marlon Brown, 22, has been charged with the theft of Sponge Bob, and will appear at Kingston Magistrates' Court on Thursday, September 14.