the case of the taken tamarins

Story by EMMA RUBY

missing animals, compromised enclosures and an animal death throughout the month of January plunged the Dallas Zoo into national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

A criminal investigation was launched by the Dallas Police Department to find the culprit of the strange happenings, and a SWAT team and federal investigators from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife department were pulled into the case.

By early February it seemed there might be some answers to the zoo’s month of turmoil, but many were still left wondering:

What just happened at the Dallas Zoo?

chapter 1: code blue

It was just after 10 a.m. on Jan.

BUT THE MORE UNFORTUNATE THING IS WE CANNOT POINT TO A SINGLE CAUSE AND GO FIX IT.”

13 when the Dallas Zoo announced that it would not open due to a “code blue” situation, meaning a non-dangerous animal escaped its cage.

Zoo employees had arrived to work and noticed a clouded leopard — a cat that weighs around 25 pounds and is smaller than a bobcat — named Nova missing from her enclosure.

Harrison Edell, the zoo’s executive vice president for animal care and conservation, said overnight staff had seen Nova in her enclosure just hours before.

“We do have security staff on grounds overnight and we have some animal care staff on grounds overnight,” he said. “At 1 a.m., we have staff who believe that both cats were accounted for in the same spot.”

Nova’s disappearance became a viral Twitter topic almost instantly, and the zoo spent most of the day stressing that the leopard did not pose a danger to humans and was likely in the trees near her enclosure.

Online, Nova’s disappearance was generally handled with amusement toward the situation.

A headline in D Magazine read, “Dallas Zoo Closes Friday After Failing to Spot Leopard.”

Police were the butt of online jokes after it was reported that the SWAT team initially responded to the code blue.

“We were thinking perhaps a big cat,” said Sgt. Warren Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department, at a press conference.

With the help of police drones with infrared capabilities, Nova was located in the trees near her original habitat around 4:30 p.m. She was uninjured, and rejoined her sister in their enclosure several days later.

But when police addressed the pub - lic that evening, it became clear that Nova’s escape had nothing to do with habitat failure or a keeper mistake.

Instead, Nova’s enclosure had been targeted and had a “suspicious opening” in it. Police believed someone had intentionally compromised the enclosure using a “cutting tool,” and they were launching a criminal investigation into what had happened.

A similar cut had been found on the enclosure of langur monkeys, police announced the next day.

All of the langurs were accounted for, and none appeared to be harmed. Officials hesitated to say the breach was connected to Nova’s disappearance, and for the next week, Dallas seemed to slowly forget the incidents had even happened.

Until a vulture was pronounced dead, that is.

chapter 2: suspected avicide

On Jan. 21, animal care employees arrived at the zoo and found Pin dead in his enclosure. The lappet-faced vulture had lived at the Dallas Zoo for 33 years.

A necropsy was conducted and the findings were “very suspicious,” Dallas Zoo President and CEO Gregg Hudson said.

Hudson told the media that Pin had not died of natural causes but rather a wound. But Pin’s death was especially “disturbing” because of the endangered status of his species.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife investigators were brought onto the case since an endangered animal had died.

While police and zoo officials still hesitated to say the incident was connected to the prior cut enclosures, the zoo announced a $10,000 reward for any information that led to an arrest and indictment in the cases.

By this point, the zoo had “substantially increased” its security measures by amping up staff presence at night, more cameras and limiting animal movement within enclosures.

chapter 3: a history of tragedies

Police and zoo officials determined the zoo was not responsible for Pin’s death, but it resurrected past conversations surrounding animal deaths at the zoo.

In October 2021, the zoo announced three giraffes had died within a month’s time. One giraffe died after suffering from liver failure as a result of age, and another had “abnormal liver enzymes.” A 3-month-old giraffe calf was euthanized after an injury.

The calf was the third to die at the Dallas Zoo within a span of six years.

“Losing three calves in six years is really hard on us, but the more unfortunate thing is we cannot point to a single cause and go fix it,” Matt James, an Oak Cliff resident who oversees the zoo’s animal care team, said in a 2021 interview with the Advocate .

Two gorillas also died at the Dallas Zoo within a two-year span, and in 2019, an African dog was killed by other members of its pack just one month after being brought into the zoo.

In 2018, the hippopotami Adhama and Boipelo became parents to the first baby born in the Simmons Hippo Outpost. But that baby hippo died “mysteriously” shortly after being born.

“While Boipelo did assist the calf to the surface of the pool, it was not soon enough. In reviewing the situation, we know for certain there was no safe way for the staff to intervene to help the calf,” Edell said in a statement after the death.

Perhaps the most dramatic stain on the zoo’s history comes from a 2013 lion attack, which was witnessed by dozens of zoo attendees. A male lion bit and killed a lioness over the course of 15 minutes, witnesses told media outlets.

While zoo employees said they were in shock following the event, a tweet from the Dallas Zoo said that inter-pride slayings are common in the wild and “we may never know why.”

These animal deaths were dramatic and shocking, and cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the Dallas Zoo.

But they had never before been ruled suspicious or caused a police investigation.

chapter 4: taken tamarins

Dallas police were called to the zoo a third time on Jan. 30.

Things had escalated. A pair of emperor tamarin monkeys named Bella and Finn were missing from their enclosure. A statement from the zoo said “it was clear the habitat had been intentionally compromised,” and police believed the animals had been taken.

An arrest affidavit obtained by the Dallas Morning News described the enclosure as “cut and bent in a manner and size for a person to both reach into and/or gain access to” the monkeys.

By this point, the good humor that surrounded the public’s response to Nova’s disappearance had evaporated.

CNN, the New York Times , and other national media outlets had picked up the story of all the strange occurrences. Incredulous social media users repeatedly asked “What is happening at the Dallas Zoo?”

A day later, police released a photo and video of a man they wanted to speak to regarding the missing monkeys. The man was “not a person of interest currently,” but may have information regarding the case.

The photo showed a young man wearing a blue hoodie and eating a bag of Doritos, and in the video, he could be seen wandering through the front gates.

The photo caught the attention of a family who run a church in Lancaster, Texas, just 20 minutes away from the zoo, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The family recognized the man as someone who had spent time in the church and around the church’s nearby community house; just before Christmas, the family had dealt with a mysterious break-in at the house and found chickens, pigeons, birds and cats, according to the report.

Within hours, police responded to the community house. Bella and Finn were found in a closet in freezing temperatures. The zoo confirmed the monkeys had lost some weight, but were alive and showed no sign of injury.

The $10,000 reward was upped to $25,000.

chapter 5: an arrest

Police arrested 24-year-old Davion

Irvin on Feb. 2 in connection with the abducted emperor tamarins.

Irvin was the man pictured in the photo and video police had released days earlier, and he was charged with five counts of animal cruelty, all relating to the emperor tamarins. Since his arrest, he has also been charged with two counts of burglary in connection with the rips in the langur and clouded leopard enclosures and a sixth count of animal cruelty.

According to the affidavit, police had begun to suspect Irvin after conducting interviews with zoo staff. Employees mentioned a man matching Irvin’s description who repeatedly asked obscure questions about animals and their care, and had been seen entering staff-only areas.

On the afternoon of Feb. 2, police received a call that a man who looked like Irvin had been seen at the Dallas World Aquarium near the animal exhibits. The affidavit says Irvin was asking questions about the animals and touching the mesh material that surrounded their enclosures.

According to police, Irvin was seen boarding a DART rail shortly after police responded to the aquarium. Irvin was later seen again in the 1400 block of Pacific and was taken in for questioning and charged.

Irvin told police that he “loved animals,” and that he’d pet Nova and intended to steal her before she moved out of his reach.

The same report also says Irvin admitted to taking the emperor tamarin monkeys, and rode the DART rail to the Lancaster home where he “kept his animals.”

If released, Irvin plans to return to the zoo and steal again, according to the report.

Because of this admission, court documents show that if Irvin makes bail he will be required to wear an ankle monitor to ensure he does not approach “any building and/or company engaged in the display or sale of animals” including the zoo, aquarium and pet stores.

While Irvin faces charges in the clouded leopard, langur monkey and emperor tamarin cases, charges had not been pressed in the lappet-faced vulture case at the time of publishing.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service stated that a resident agent in charge of Dallas is assisting police and the zoo in the investigation, and that, if necessary, the National

Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory can be used for forensic analysis of evidence.

If the federal government chooses to, it is able to prosecute incidents related to endangered animals, such as the lappet-faced vulture.

Police, the zoo and U.S. Fish and Wildlife had not named Irvin as a suspect in the death of Pin the vulture at the time of publishing.

chapter 6: zoodunnit?

While Dallas has answers to most of the incidents that plagued the zoo early this year, a wave of odd zoo happenings in Louisiana and Texas followed.

The Houston Zoo reported a four-inch cut in the mesh surrounding the brown pelican habitat on Feb. 6. While the pelicans were all accounted for and healthy, a Houston Zoo spokesperson said the cut was “the result of vandalism.”

The zoo did not find cuts on any other enclosures.

And on Jan. 29, 12 squirrel monkeys were stolen from Zooisiana, a zoo in Broussard, Louisiana.

The monkey enclosure had been cut open.

Within a week, a 62-yearold man from Opelousas, Louisiana, was arrested and charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty and one count of burglary. Officials are investigating whether or not the incident was connected to the Dallas Zoo, and at the time of publishing they still have not confirmed or denied that the incidents were related.

The 12 monkeys are still missing.

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?

AC & HEAT

ALEXANDER HOME REPAIR. AC/HEAT

Repair & Install. LIC#28052 469-226-9642

THE HEATING & AC EXPERTS

Installations & Repairs

Emergency Services

24/7 On-Call 100% Satisfaction

Guarantee dallasheatingac.com

ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!

TACLA67136C 214-710-2515

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

BUY SELL TRADE

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar Paid.1-866 -433-8277

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138

CLEANING SERVICES

CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

CONFUSED? FRUSTRATED? Let a seasoned pro be the interface between you & that pesky Windows computer. Hardware/Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $100/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 972-639-6413 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net

CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING

ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS

Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954

BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS

Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable.

Chris 214-770-5001

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricdfw.com

50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333

TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

NEED ELECTRICAL SERVICES?

Look here for local professionals.

Employment

WANTED: BOOKEEPER

Experienced in Quick books for general construction and home flipping. Send resume or call Ricky:(512) 554-6084 R.Moises.Garza@gmail.com

EXTERIOR CLEANING

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING & DECKS

4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com

AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217

FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS oldgatefence.com 214-766-6422

GARAGE SERVICES

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

PRO WINDOW CLEANING prompt, dependable. Matt 214-766-2183

ROCK GLASS CO Replace, repair: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 214-837-7829

HANDYMAN SERVICES

DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692

HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.

HOME REPAIR Small/Big Jobs. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 33 yrs exp. 214-875-1127

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical.469-658-9163

Let Us Tackle Your To-Do List!

❚ Drywall ❚ Doors ❚ Senior Safety

❚ Carpentry ❚ Small & Odd Jobs ❚ And More!

HOUSE PAINTING

TOP COAT 30 Yrs. Exp. Reliable. Quality Repair/Remodel. Phil @ 214-770-2863

RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It — We do it. Tommy. Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

Pest

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax

For General Treatment.

Average Home-Interior/Exterior & Attached Garage. Quotes For Other Services. 214-328-2847. Lakewood Resident

NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT INC.

Squirrels, Racoons, Skunks, Snakes, Possums, etc. Pest & Termite. Neighborhood Resident 30+ Yrs.exp. 214-827-0090

JIM 972-992-4660

WE REFINISH!

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719 www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com

214-924-7058 214-770-2435

MONSTER TREE SERVICE DALLAS

Certified Arborists, Fully Insured 469.983.1060 Locally harvested wood!

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Firewood/Cooking Wood

Full service trimming & planting of native trees. 214.946.7138

NEED CONCRETE, MASONRY OR PAVING SERVICES?

Look here for local professionals.

For complete terms and conditions, visit advocatemag.com/advertisingterms.

abetterearth.com

Plumbing

AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943

ANCHOR PLUMBING Your trusted Oak Cliff plumber for 30+ years. 214-946-1638.

PLUMBING 24/7 On-Call

POOLS

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996

REAL ESTATE

ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD? Facing forclosure? IG Heron Homes Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839

NEAR WRLAKE 2/1 DUPLEX. Hdwds, Appl. Yard Serv. CHA, 1/carport. $1,400+Dep. 469-879-2977

OFFICE SUBLEASE In Bishop Arts. Cool, Quiet. 1,179 Sq ft. 4 rooms + kit / bath, parking. $2,950 + NNNs. 713.302-7722.

REMODELING

A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC

Remodeling, Painting, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing, Electrical,Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels, Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Estimates.

A2HGeneralContractingLLC@gmail.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 24 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

REMODELING

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

ROOFING

Services For You

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS If you have water damage and need cleanup services, call us! We'll get in & work with your insurance agency to get your home repaired and your life back to normal ASAP! 855-767-7031

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation,production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide

1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

DENTAL INSURANCE-Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply.Promo Expires 7/21/21.1-833-872-2545

Services For You

DONATE YOUR CARS TO VETERANS TODAY. Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800 -245-0398

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER!

LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373

FREE HIGH SPEED INTERNET if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892

GENERAC Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt. Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-844-334 -8353

HUGHESNET Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live.25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499 -0141

Services For You

MOBILE HELP, America's premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you're home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! 1-888-489-3936

SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services

TUTORING/ LESSONS

GARTH ORR - TUTOR Math & Physics grade 8-12. Private Tutoring that works! garthorr.com

NEED A PAINTING PRO?

Look here for local professionals.

In this neighborhood, you need a proven professional to help you find what you’re looking for. As Dallas’ experts on our city’s close-in communities, no one gets Oak Cliff quite like the pros at David Griffin & Company. Buying? Selling? Call us at 214.526.5626 or visit davidgriffin.com.

By JOE STOUT

Could that have been Stevie Ray?

Stevie Ray Vaughan and I started out on similar paths.

We were born one month apart in Methodist Hospital and hailed from similar blue-collar neighborhoods. We started grammar school at the same time in adjoining districts and probably started playing guitar at about the same age.

I like believing that Stevie Ray Vaughan and I had a lot in common. It feels like we do, as we both experienced childhood and adolescence in the beautiful, historic, sometimes gritty neighborhood of Oak Cliff in the ’60s and early ’70s.

Unfortunately, the similarities didn’t include our musical ability.

Even though I lived only a mile or so from him, I never knew Stevie.

At the time, Oak Cliff had dozens of garage-band guitar players who hoped blues and rock would be our ticket to fame. I had some friends and bandmates who crossed paths with Stevie, including one who auditioned him but decided he “wasn’t the right fit” for the band my friend was forming.

Dallas has now embraced the Vaughan brothers’ legacy by erecting the memorial “We Are Music and Music is Us” at Kiest Park. Going there, or driving past the Vaughan Estate when I visit Laurel Land, I wonder if I ever unknowingly crossed paths with Stevie Ray Vaughan growing up. There are some places where it could have happened.

In the 1960s, the pool at Weiss Park was a mecca for pre-teen and teenage kids in the summer. Radio music by popular bands like the Beach Boys blared on the tinny PA system.

Few people had access to a private swimming pool in Oak Cliff, and due to the pool’s popularity I suspect Stevie Ray may have been there in the same water with the same multitudes of kids, passing the summer days by listening to the latest pop tunes.

A favorite place of mine was Watkins Music Store at the corner of Jefferson and Tyler. I spent hours at Watkins admiring Gibson guitars and Fender amplifiers and browsing the store’s large collection of sheet music.

I often tried to memorize the chords to songs by Jimi Hendrix and Cream. This was decades before the Internet and free online guitar lessons, and the books were expensive.

It’s amazing to think that while I was hanging out at Watkins, there was a kid in Oak Cliff who would one day record his own soaring version of Hendrix’s “Little Wing” and share stages with Eric Clapton.

I’ll bet Stevie Ray, for all his love of music, also spent some time at Watkins.

Jaylee Record Store, just down the street, was a “head shop” patronized by the hippies and flower children of Dallas. The shop had a heavy aroma of incense and sold posters of the guitar heroes of the day.

Local groups often played in the store on Friday and Saturday nights, and I saw some talented guitarists there. The musicians seemed edgier and better than any members of the local bands I knew.

For all I know, Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of them.

The Oak Cliff YMCA was near Adamson High School, where musicians Michael Martin Murphy and Ray Wiley Hubbard attended, and was another live music hot spot.

In the summer, the YMCA hosted Friday afternoon sock-hops and was a second home for many kids like me.

I particularly remember an unknown but talented band who were around my age playing “Jumping Jack Flash” with huge, red Kustom-brand amplifiers.

I wonder if Stevie Ray Vaughan could have been a part of that band, or another one that played at the YMCA.

Some things have changed since Stevie Ray Vaughan and I were kids, but many things haven’t. Oak Cliff is still one of the most beautiful parts of Dallas and a great place to be a kid.