Escaped monkey was shot by homeowner, officials say

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCBD) – Bradley, a monkey that escaped his habitat and avoided being caught for days last week, was not captured alive, according to officials.

The search for Bradley – a 15-year-old Japanese macaque – began last Thursday after the monkey escaped from his habitat in the Walterboro area until his “capture” on Monday.

Bradley’s owner immediately contacted the Colleton County Animal Services (CCAS) when the primate escaped; however, the owner felt he could catch the primate using his own resources.

Colleton County Animal Control joined efforts to find the animal on Friday evening and the search stretched into Monday. Attempts to capture Bradley were hampered by increased interest from the community.

When announcing the animal was recovered over the holiday, Animal Control said that per his owner, attempts were successful. In an update on Thursday afternoon, Colleton County officials told News 2 that the monkey was not captured alive.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that Bradley’s owner informed them the primate was shot by a local homeowner who claimed the animal was attacking his dog.

”Colleton County initially assisted the owner in his search for the missing animal; however, no Colleton County personnel or resources were involved in this incident.  We have no information related to what happened except what the owner has shared with us,” said Meagan Utsey, deputy county administrator for Colleton County.