A Home Depot employee in Florida was enjoying a cigarette break on Monday when a customer’s pet spider monkey attacked and bit her multiple times.
The bizarre incident took place at the home improvement store in Okeechobee just before 2pm and left Marilyn Howard with injuries to her back, arms and face.
Tina Ballard, the owner of Spanky the monkey, told an Okeechobee County sheriff’s deputy who responded to the scene that she had left the primate in her truck on a leash while she went inside the store.
Monkey business: Spanky the pet spider monkey (pictured) is said to have attacked a worker at a Florida Home Depot this week
Not your average workday: Marilyn Howard was on her break Monday when she says the monkey approached her outside the store, and later bit her on her arm and scratched her face
The bizarre incident took place at the home improvement store in Okeechobee, Florida, where owner Tina Ballard had arrived with the monkey in her truck
But the exotic pet somehow managed to climb out of the truck and approached Howard, who was standing outside the store.
The worker, who described herself as an animal lover, recounted to WPTV how Spanky reached up and gently grabbed her hand.
Howard took the monkey by the leash so she would not run away or enter the store, but before she knew what was happening, Spanky clambered up her back and bit her twice.
Determined not to let the monkey inside the Home Depot, Howard continued holding the monkey’s leash.
When the store’s sliding doors opened, Spanky apparently got spooked and attacked Howard again, this time biting her on the arm and hand, and scratching the left side of her face.
Howard admitted that she cried for the first 24 hours after the incident because of ‘vanity,’ but she is convinced the scars will eventually fade because she is taking vitamins.
Animal lover: Howard said the monkey at first grabbed her gently by the hand, and she decided to hold it by the leash it had on so it would not run away
The woman also suffered bites to her hand (pictured) and back
Internet star: Spanky has a YouTube channel, which features some 150 videos documenting the critter’s adventures and boasts close to 9,500 subscribes
Howard initially refused medical attention for her wounds but told a deputy she would go to a hospital to get them checked out.
Spanky has been returned to her owner. Howard said she does not wish for the monkey to be euthanized.
The sheriff’s department has turned over the case to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which will investigate the incident and decide whether or not to bring charges against Ballard.
As it turns out, Spanky is somewhat of an Internet celebrity with her own YouTube channel, which features some 150 videos documenting the critter’s adventures and boasts close to 9,500 subscribes.
According to a recent video, Spanky is eight years old.
In a phone interview with DailyMail.com on Friday, Robert Klepper, a spokesperson for the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement,confirmed that Ballard currently retains control of the monkey.
He would not go into any specifics, but said that state law allows people to own spider monkeys with the appropriate permit.
According to the National Geographic, spider monkeys are critically endangered. They are found in tropical forests of Central and South America and have an average lifespan of 24-27 years.