NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Momo, the notorious monkey, has transitioned from residing on the east side of Indianapolis to finding himself at the city's zoo and subsequently becoming a nationwide television sensation.
The adult male patas monkey made a daring escape from his owner's residence on Wednesday, October 5 evening, leading to a citywide spectacle as he wandered through the streets of Indianapolis.
This escapade triggered numerous 911 calls and sparked a significant response on social media. Ultimately, Momo was successfully captured on Thursday, October 5.
“In the Midwest, an escaped monkey has been running riot in an Indianapolis neighborhood,” Stephen Colbert joked during a segment of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday, October 5.
During a segment he titled "Monkey on the Loose," Stephen Colbert tackled the topic of the escaped monkey.
The segment featured an image of a monkey wearing a diaper, riding a lamb, and brandishing a firearm. Colbert has been the host of the show since 2015, and it airs on CBS at 11.35 pm on weekdays.
The discussion about Momo began approximately 16 minutes into the episode.
“Clearly the result of the loss of habitat when they built the Indianapolis Speedway,” Colbert joked. “The native monkey population of Indiana was forced to adapt to their new environment.”
He displayed a manipulated image depicting a monkey behind the wheel of an Indycar and subsequently mimicked making a call to the zoo using a banana, effectively concluding the segment.
"Is this monkey zoo?” Colbert asked while speaking into the banana phone. “What's that? I'm being informed that Momo's been caught, and I knew that before the show, but I didn't care because I wanted to do the jokes anyway.”
Momo's wild ride: A monkey's misadventure in Indianapolis
On Thursday morning, Momo was apprehended when he was observed entering an unoccupied house that was in the process of being built.
The owner's brother arrived at the scene to assist with the capture, after which the monkey was handed over to Indianapolis Animal Care Services.
In a press conference held on Thursday, officials disclosed that Momo's owner had received a citation, and the animal was temporarily being housed at the zoo while authorities deliberated on the possibility of returning him to his owner.
Momo, the mischievous monkey, caused quite a stir during his nearly 24-hour escapade in Indianapolis. He swiped a beer, broke into an unfinished house, and even left a few injuries in his wake.
Fortunately, Momo was eventually captured by his owner's brother, who cornered him in a bathroom after the police closed in.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department humorously remarked that they'd had their fill of "monkey business."
Momo's agility, as a patas monkey capable of speeds up to 34 mph, made the chase a challenge for law enforcement. While there were reports of minor injuries, it's unclear if Momo bit anyone.
Neighbors have had some unexpected encounters with the monkey, including one finding Momo on her car hood.
After his capture, Momo was handed over to Indianapolis Animal Care Services, which later transferred him to the Indianapolis Zoo.
Whether Momo will be returned to his owner is pending a decision by the county's prosecutor's office, as owning such an animal in Marion County does not require a permit.
The owner received a citation for the monkey's unsafe behavior in a residential area.
Social media was abuzz with reactions
After the escaped monkey Momo was featured on Stephen Colbert's late-night show, viewers left comments on the show's YouTube clip of the segment.
One viewer shared their linguistic revelation, saying, "It took me a while to get the peach joke because 'momo' means 'peach' in Japanese. So I'm sitting there thinking, 'was the peach not the obvious first choice?'"
Another viewer connected the dots with a popular pop culture reference from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', noting, "Monkey, Momo, peach? This story tickles the heart of an old ATLA fan."
The return of the once popular segment brought joy to a fan who enthusiastically exclaimed, "The Colbert Report's Monkey on the Lam made me laugh until everything hurt, but I couldn't stop!!! I'm glad it's back!"
A fan of the segment expressed their longing for more monkey-related news, saying, "I've been eagerly waiting for the glorious return of Monkey on the Lamb (sic), the best segment on CR. There's been a severe shortage of psycho-simian and malicious macaque news on TV ever since. Hope this is a recurring segment from now on. The public must be informed. We can't let them win!"
