Craigslist advertisement for free monkey posted Tuesday

The Craigslist ad posted Tuesday indicated the monkey, from Crystal, an hour from Mount Pleasant, would be given away for free and includes a cage, food and toys.

However, to own a monkey in Michigan one needs a permit, said Megan Boursaw, feline care specialist at Humane Animal Treatment Society.

Boursaw said the shelter, located at 1105 S. Isabella Road, does not typically encounter exotic animals.

“Rabbits, ferrets, rats; that’s about as exotic as we get,” Boursaw said.

Past legislation has been encouraged that would discourage against owning pet monkeys as they have the potential to carry disease.

The number listed on the ad is not in service, but requests to include necessary contact information have been made by interested parties.

The current owner will be kicked out of their current residence at 9 p.m. Friday and it is unclear whether the current owner has the necessary permit.

The ad claimed the monkey to be valued at $3,500.

But students living on campus who are interested in the monkey are out of luck.

"The university has a policy against pets on campus," said Central Michigan University Police Chief Bill Yeagley.

Yeagley said pet monkeys have not been a problem on campus as long as he’s been here.

Since being posted at 2:24 p.m., the listing has been flagged for removal.