Monkey Escapes in North Texas Halloween Store

A pet monkey created quite a scene at a Spirit Halloween store in North Texas on Monday night, according to reports. The monkey spent over 30 minutes climbing, swinging, and crawling around the ceiling of the store in Plano.

One shopper, Arlene Pinkston, described the event as “the animal kingdom alive.” She was at the store with her daughters when her daughter first noticed the monkey. “My daughter looked up and said, ‘What the hell?’ as she questioned if it was a real monkey,” Pinkston recalled. “I looked up and said, ‘I’m wearing a diaper, so I think it’s real,'” she added with a laugh while also capturing the moment on video.

In the video shared by Pinkston, the monkey is seen climbing on shelves and hanging from the rafters, even knocking a box off one of the shelves.

According to Spirit Halloween employee Jimmy Harris, the monkey was startled by one of the store’s animatronic decorations, prompting it to run away from its owner. The Plano Police Department was contacted to help catch the wandering animal.

A spokesperson for the police department noted that upon arriving, officers found a small brown monkey in a diaper hanging from the ceiling. They humorously stated they weren’t exactly “monkey whisperers” but would do their best to assist.

Fortunately, the monkey seemed to be having fun and wasn’t a danger to anyone. Its owner managed to retrieve the animal using a small cookie, and police advised the owner to use a leash in the future. The incident ended without any injuries or harm to shoppers, employees, or the monkey itself.