# Elite gendarmerie unit rescues endangered monkeys after they were stolen from a French zoo and kidnappers threatened to sell the animals on the black market if a ransom wasn’t paid

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/elite-gendarmerie-unit-rescues-endangered-monkeys-after-they-were-stolen-from-a-french-zoo-and-kidnappers-threatened-to-sell-the-animals-on-the-black-market-if-a-ransom-wasnt-paid/
- Published: 2026-11-03T01:54:47+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T02:10:55+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16260501/Elite-gendarmerie-unit-rescues-endangered-monkeys-stolen-zoo.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- GIGN recovered 11 stolen monkeys from a French zoo.
- Two monkeys remain missing.
- Three suspects deny involvement.

## Summary

France’s GIGN gendarmerie unit rescued most of a group of endangered monkeys stolen from Exotic Park zoo in Lescar, after alleged kidnappers demanded a ransom and threatened to sell them. The case highlights the risk of wildlife theft and the difficulty of recovering animals targeted for the illegal trade.

Eight marmosets and five cotton-top tamarins were taken in a night-time raid last week. Police used zoo CCTV and digital location data to identify suspects; two men are in custody and a woman is under investigation, with all three denying involvement. Eleven monkeys were found in stable health, alongside €1,500 and five illegally held hunting rifles, but two remain missing; another escaped during the attempted theft and was found in the zoo.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.