One Colombian chimpanzee that was caught stealing has been re-released into the wild while his simian partner in crime has been condemned to a life behind bars, reported local media.
“Aplausos” and “Manco” were “arrested” back in 2004 by the Environment and Ecology police who accused the two primates of stealing. Since then they have been undergoing “rehabilitation.”
Aplausos, a circus chimpanzee, was seduced into a life of crime by “Chompiras” (later to be renamed Manco), who taught him the dastardly trade learned from his owner.
“Rehab” has taken many years but Aplausos has now been deemed capable of being released into the wild in the central Colombian department of Casanare.
The ending is less happy for Manco, a more hardened simian criminal, who will spend the rest of his life behind bars in a Colombian zoo.