A cheeky monkey who had been raiding homes for food has been caught by wildlife experts after being shot with a tranquiliser dart.
The primate had been driving homeowners nuts after discovering that it is easier to steal food from kitchens than it is to forage for it.
But its monkey-see-monkey chew run came to an end when wildlife officials cornered it on top of a kitchen cabinet in the Mehmet Akif neighbourhood of Bursa, in Turkey.
In video footage of the capture, one expert is seen darting the monkey with a blowpipe.
Then – as the primate gets woozy – it is netted and transferred into a safety cage.
Experts believe the monkey could have been an illegal pet that escaped.
Homeowner Basri Gulec said: “The day before, while I was going to work, the teams from the Nature Conservation and National Parks Directorate were wandering on the street.
“They checked the neighbours’ houses. I found out in the evening.
“When my family went upstairs and looked, they saw it.
“My son sent me a video. There was no damage in the house except that it messed up the kitchen cabinets.”
He added: “I wasn’t afraid when I saw it inside. I am an animal lover. We also gave it fruits at home.”
His tearful 10-year-old daughter Sumeyye Gulec, reportedly sobbed: “I named him ‘Sakir.’ Why did they take Sakir? I loved him so much.”
Newsflash obtained a statement from the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks on 27th July saying: “As a result of a report about a monkey received by our Regional Directorate, our protection and rescue team took action and successfully brought the monkey under control.
“Following a report that a monkey had entered the kitchen of a house in Mehmet Akif Ersoy neighbourhood in Bursa province, our protection and rescue team, coordinated by our Regional Directorate’s Veterinary Doctor Azizcan Sezer, took immediate action.
“They went to the specified address and used tranquilising medication to immobilise the monkey where it was found.
“Subsequently, they brought the monkey under control in a healthy manner.
“The captured monkey has been transferred to the Karacabey Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.”
The authorities have reported launched an investigation to determine where the animal came from, as it is illegal to sell or own monkeys in Turkey.
