Lee County, Iowa investigation closed
macaque monkey
/ KHQA file photo
FORT MADISON, IA -- UPDATE: March 17 at 9:48 a.m.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture has released a list of registered wild or exotic animals in the state of Iowa.
You can find that list here.
The owner of the macaque monkey has declined a television interview at this time.
KHQA will bring you more details should any developments arise.
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UPDATE: March 16 at 10:09 a.m.
KHQA has spoken with the owner of the monkey, who has agreed to speak with us on camera on Thursday. She says she looks forward to telling her side of the story.
We will bring you more details so check this story later.
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UPDATE: March 15 at 10:15 a.m.
The owner of the macaque monkey tells KHQA that the ownership of the monkey is legal, and that the incident was not serious.
The owner tells KHQA that the monkey is very well treated and does not pose a threat in the home.
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Lee County Sheriff Jim Scholl says a 10-year-old child was taken to Fort Madison Hospital for a cat bite, but hospital personnel eventually learned the child was bitten by a pet macaque monkey.
Scholl says his investigation into the matter is closed, but he is trying to determine if ownership of the animal is legal.
Both the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Agriculture are aware of the incident, but could not comment on specific cases.
Dustin Vandehoef of the Iowa Department of Agriculture says as of 2007, state law requires all "wild or exotic" animals owned as pets be registered and micro-chipped.
KHQA has requested a list of wild or exotic animals registered in the state.
Scholl says a younger child provoked the monkey, and the bite occured when the 10-year-old tried to intervene.
The incident happened during the week of March 2, 2011.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA