Gomez the last of the rare pygmy marmosets to be returned to Symbio wildlife park after he was left in a box on a vet’s doorstep

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A rare miniature monkey has been reunited with its primate family south of Sydney after the group was kidnapped from a New South Wales zoo on Friday night.

Ten-year-old Gomez was the last of three pygmy marmosets to be returned to the Symbio wildlife park at Helensburgh after the theft.

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Gomez was left in a box on the doorstep of a vet at Tahmoor, about 70km west of Helensburgh, on Monday night.

Its 10-month-old daughter Sofia and a four-week-old baby were recovered during a vehicle stop on Sunday, with two brothers – Jackson George, 23, and his brother Jesse, 26 – later pleading guilty to transporting and intending to sell them.

On Tuesday morning, Symbio reported that Gomez had been returned home “in OK condition” but was “very scared”.

“Gomez has been reunited with his family this morning and we are allowing them as much time as needed to settle back in, in privacy,” the park said in a Facebook post.

“Sofia, the baby and the remaining family members are all doing well. Our exhibit will remain closed again today to give the family time to re-bond with Gomez, as we observe the dynamics within the family.”

Police are still hunting for the thief – or thieves – behind Friday’s monkey heist.