Canada

TORONTO - A primate sanctuary is alleging that the woman who owned a Japanese macaque known as the Ikea monkey strangled and hit the animal with a wooden spoon.

The monkey named Darwin has resided at Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Sunderland, Ont., since he was found wandering in the parking lot of a Toronto Ikea, wearing a little shearling coat.

The sanctuary is trying to block efforts by the woman who owned Darwin to get him back, and it's now alleging in recently filed court documents filed that she abused him.

The sanctuary alleges that Yasmin Nakhuda bought Darwin for $10,000 from an illegal exotic animal dealer, who showed her how to physically abuse the monkey so he behaved.

The court documents allege that Nakhuda, her husband and their two sons strangled the monkey and hit him with a wooden spoon, and they further allege that Darwin had been biting them so the family planned to have his teeth removed.

Ted Charney, a lawyer for Nakhuda, says anything can be alleged in a pleading, no matter how untrue, and he believes these allegations are designed to shock the public and discredit Nakhuda so she drops her court case.