South Carolina couple loses pet monkey at Morrisville hotel

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A South Carolina couple says their beloved baby tamarin monkey ran off from a Morrisville hotel.

Mike and Ann Smith were checking in to the La Quinta on Hospitality Court late Thursday morning when Ann went outside with Willow, who is less than a year old. The sound of an airplane flying above startled her, and she scurried off.

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The couple has spent the past few days searching for Willow, with help from police, animal control, hotel guests, staff, and friends.

"The colder it gets, the more likely, the more she will just huddle down and she won't move. And she'll get more lethargic because her body temperature will start dropping. And she can freeze to death in this weather," Ann Smith said.

Willow weighs just eight ounces and requires a warm bottle to eat.

"She can't survive in it. She won't be able to unless she buries real down deep under the leaves," said Smith. "She won't be able to survive the cold."

Early Saturday, Smith found the diaper Willow had been wearing, giving them hope she is still in the area.

"It's like losing a child. No one knows what it's like unless they've had one. I've got to find her," Ann Smith said.

The family is asking anybody who is in the area to look out for Willow, and check under their vehicles before driving off.

Smith is offering a $1,000 reward and is urging you to call 864-979-8446 if you have any information.