Smuggled monkey dies after trip to N.Y.

Fist-sized tamarin boards plane under man's hat; cause of death unknown

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updated 11:27 a.m. ET Dec. 27, 2007

NEW YORK - A small monkey stashed in a man's hat during a flight to New York has died, and a U.S. federal health agency spokeswoman says authorities do not know why, according to a local newspaper.

The fist-sized tamarin was seized on Aug. 7 as its owner got off a plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, the Daily News reported Thursday. The tiny primate apparently escaped detection during a flight from Lima, Peru, and a stopover in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

But the forest-dwelling creature was spotted after it crept out and perched on its owner's ponytail during the trip to New York, the paper reported.

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Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Shelly Diaz was quoted by the paper as saying the tamarin showed no signs of illness during a quarantine period. She said the agency was trying to find the animal a permanent home when it died.

The owner was questioned and released. He told authorities he did not realize the monkey's voyage was illegal.

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