Ikea Monkey Darwin Rehomed After Shop Visit

The monkey photographed at an Ikea store wearing a stylish shearling coat is to be rehomed after being taken to a sanctuary.

The seven-month-old rhesus macaque, called Darwin, was taken into care after his outing at the Toronto store.

Darwin, who is "a bit sensitive", has now been paired up with a "motherly" monkey at the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in southern Ontario.

He has, however, been parted from his double-breasted coat to enable him to adapt to a more natural way of living, says the sanctuary president Sherri Delaney.

But his owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, a property lawyer, who was shopping in the Ikea store when the monkey was spotted by members of the public on Sunday, says he cannot live without her.

She told City TV: "I know he cannot live without me and everyone who knows Darwin can vouch for this. He needs his mother like a child needs his mother."

She has been fined C\$240 (£151) for illegally keeping the monkey but will not face criminal charges.

Mary Lou Leiher, of Toronto Animal Services, told reporters: "We’re minimising [contact] because of stress to the animal and [to preserve] the safety of our people.

"He's not very happy right now. He's comfortable, but he's having a bad day."

She told reporters at a press conference: "It’s a very exotic choice for a pet. Common sense would say, 'Get a dog.'"

Before his new-found fame, Mrs Nakhuda had posted several videos of Darwin on YouTube. Next to one she had appealed for advice in how best to care for a monkey.