Missing Walterboro monkey not captured alive, county confirms

WALTERBORO, SC (WCSC) – A days-long search for a 15-year-old Japanese macaque that escaped from its habitat did not have a happy ending, Colleton County officials confirmed.

“I can confirm that the monkey was not captured alive,” Deputy County Administrator Meagan Utsey said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. It's the first official word from the county since the search ended that the monkey, who was named “Bradley,” was dead.

“Bradley” was shot and killed by an owner who said his dog was being threatened by the monkey, Utsey said.

The county initially worked to help the homeowner find Bradley after his escape. But no Colleton County staff or resources were involved in an incident that may have resulted in the animal's death, she said.

“We have no information about what happened except what the owner shared with us,” Utsey said.

Bradley had lived in the area for six years, officials said during the search.

Colleton County Animal Services released a statement Sunday saying it had received numerous tips regarding Bradley's whereabouts. However, they also said people who knew about the escaped monkey through social media were hindering efforts to capture it.

Viewer Kordell Brabham shared video of the monkey walking on the roof of a warehouse in the Walterboro area during the search.

The agency sent a statement Monday morning saying, “According to his owner, attempts to capture Bradley were successful. » But this press release did not specify that the monkey had not been found alive.

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