Pet Monkey Attacks Neighbors After Breaking Loose in Nevada

A pet monkey on the loose in a suburban Reno neighborhood caused chaos after the animal reportedly attacked residents on Tuesday afternoon.

Concerned neighbors called authorities shortly after noon, reporting an escaped baboon had scratched and bit four people in the area of Hunter Glen Drive in Somersett.

Washoe County Regional Animal Services told News4 that the monkey was actually much smaller than a baboon and the owners have proper permits to own an exotic pet. However, it remains unclear how the monkey got out.

Depending on the circumstances of the monkey's escape, animal control does have the ability to issue fines and cite its owners.

Authorities have reportedly taken the monkey into quarantine to make sure the animal doesn't have rabies or other illnesses.

According to the Washoe County Regional Animal Services, quarantine involves keeping an animal in a controlled environment where it can be held in isolation from other animals or people in order to be observed for signs of illness or abnormal behavior.

Dogs and cats who have been identified as causing a break in the skin of a human by its teeth are required to be quarantined for a period not less than 10 days from the date of exposure. It is unclear how long the monkey will be held in quarantine.

Newsweek has contacted the Washoe County Regional Animal Services for comment.

It's not the first time an exotic pet has been spotted on the loose in an area where it doesn't belong.

On the night of May 9, a tiger caused panic in a suburban Houston neighborhood when it was spotted prowling the streets.

Footage of the animal, seen wearing a collar around the front yards of Fleetwood, was shared online by stunned neighbors who said they had no idea a tiger was living in their midst.

Several residents shared videos of the animal casually prowling across front yards.

In one video, the camera pans to show a man appearing to be holding a gun outstretched as he coaxes the tiger to safety.

Speaking to Newsweek, one man said his parent's leafy suburban neighborhood would be "literally the last place on earth I would expect to find someone with a tiger."

Concerned neighbors called Houston Police to report the sighting around 8 p.m., police allege.

One man, later identified as Victor Hugo Cuevas, 26, was seen bundling the Bengal tiger into his white Jeep Cherokee and driving off.

The following day, Cuevas was taken into custody as police revealed the suspect was out on bond facing murder charges at the time.

Cuevas was later charged with felony evading arrest for fleeing from patrol officers.