Banana Sam draws bunch of well-wishers at S.F. Zoo

Banana Sam - the oldest of the squirrel monkeys at the San Francicso Zoo reunites with the rest of his exhibit after 30 days in quarantine, February 11, 2012. He had been stolen and returned back to the Zoo in less then 24 hours last December. "You can recognize him by the white shaved mark on his left leg." says David Carroll, the squirrel monkeys keeper who knows them all. Squirrel monkey are small and look alike to spectators. "They are all different, like people, everyone has specific features and faces. We shave different parts on their bodies so we can recognize them quickly"- continues Mr. Carroll pointing out to Banana Sam. less Banana Sam - the oldest of the squirrel monkeys at the San Francicso Zoo reunites with the rest of his exhibit after 30 days in quarantine, February 11, 2012. He had been stolen and returned back to the Zoo in ... more Photo: Siana Hristova, The Chronicle Photo: Siana Hristova, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Banana Sam draws bunch of well-wishers at S.F. Zoo 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Six weeks after his 15 minutes of fame, Banana Sam is back where he belongs: part of the skittering horde.

The 2-pound, 17-year-old squirrel monkey was the featured attraction Saturday at the San Francisco Zoo. There, in the same spacious cage from which he was abducted in late December, the moon-faced primate raced across beams and clambered up rope ladders - amid 17 of his brethren all doing pretty much the same thing, all of them looking pretty much alike.

Banana Sam was placed back in the faux-tropical landscape Wednesday after spending more than a month in the zoo's veterinary hospital. The isolation was imposed to monitor the monkey's health and make sure he hadn't picked up any communicable diseases during his 40 hours in the outside world.

Keepers were vigilant Wednesday for a different reason: Established groups of monkeys don't always take kindly to a change in routine, even when it involves a former cage mate being back on the scene.

"They didn't welcome him with open arms - there was vocalization and talking and yelling - but no big fights," said Corinne MacDonald, the zoo's curator of primates and carnivores. "Primates are really smart. Sam laid low so that nobody would pick on him, and now he's fully re-acclimated."

Banana Sam was seized after closing hours Dec. 29 by someone who cut through the cage netting from above, during darkness while the zoo was closed.

Two days of intensive publicity later - and offers by the zoo of a $5,000 reward - he showed up at the neighborhood police station in the care of someone who said that he came across Banana Sam in Stern Grove and then lured the small monkey into his backpack.

The saga of the imperiled primate caught the eye of CNN and the Christian Science Monitor. The story went out on newswires as well, with newspapers such as the Hobart Mercury in Australia assuring readers that "a beloved squirrel monkey ... has been returned scared but safe."

Once it was clear that Banana Sam was back in the hectic flow of things, zoo officials announced his return with a promotional flourish: a $1 ticket discount for anyone who showed up at the front gate this weekend with a valentine card for you-know-who. As of 2 p.m. Saturday, 18 visitors had taken advantage of the offer.

Now that Banana Sam is healthy, free from outside illness and indistinguishable on the move, one loose end remains. The police are investigating the circumstances of the disappearance and the recovery. No reward has been paid.