ASHEVILLE — A monkey that escaped its guardian Sunday and bit three people has been euthanized.
Mark Fowler, Buncombe health department environmental services director, confirmed today that Couscous was put down Monday evening at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter. The marmoset was euthanized to allow for rabies testing, he said.
The monkey’s body was shipped by FedEx to a state lab in Raleigh Monday night, Fowler said.
A health department spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon that test results were negative for rabies.
Couscous’ antics led police to charge the monkey’s guardian with drug offenses and sparked a health department investigation into the bite incidents.
The monkey’s guardian, Charles Bradley Winecoff, 40, of Upland Road in North Asheville, was charged early Monday with several drug offenses after officers found marijuana, hash, mushrooms and Ecstasy in his home as they were searching for the monkey, police Lt. Wally Welch said.
Winecoff was jailed briefly at the Buncombe County Detention Facility but was released after posting a $50,000 bond.
He could not be reached Monday.
City animal control officers were called to Winecoff’s home Sunday evening after the monkey escaped and bit three people in the nearby neighborhood before returning home, Welch said.
Officers obtained a search warrant when no one answered the door and went inside, finding the monkey — and noticing drug paraphernalia in the home, Welch said.
Winecoff returned home as officers were searching the house.
Obtaining a second search warrant to look for drugs, officers then discovered about 3 pounds of marijuana along with hashish, mushrooms and Ecstasy, Welch said.
The investigation was continuing, he said.
Because the monkey is a wild animal not allowed in the city under animal control rules, Winecoff agreed to relinquish it, Welch said.
The animal, native to South America, was placed in quarantine at the shelter. Health officials decided Monday afternoon it should be euthanized for rabies testing.
“The rabies vaccine has not been demonstrated to be effective in primates,” Fowler said.
It’s also not known what the incubation period for rabies is in monkeys, he said. The department is in close consultation with the three bite victims as the investigation continues.
I liked your post even though I don’t understand why we always kill animals that are just doing what comes naturally to them. Here in San Diego, whenever a mountain lion is discovered in a residential area, authorities tend to kill it rather than simply relocate it back into rural areas. Wildlife roam, they look for food, sometimes they bite! Get over it.