Mystery as two tamarin monkeys stolen from Dallas Zoo are found in the closet of an abandoned home

Two monkeys taken from the Dallas Zoo were found Tuesday in an abandoned home after going missing the day before from their enclosure, which had been cut open.

Dallas police said they found the two emperor tamarin monkeys after getting a tip that they could be in an abandoned home in Lancaster, located just south of the zoo. 

The animals were located, safe, in a closet, and then returned to zoo for veterinary evaluation. 

But no arrests have been made, deepening the mystery at the zoo that has included other cut fences, the escape of a small leopard and the suspicious death of an endangered vulture.

Police said they were still working to determine whether or not the incidents over the last few weeks are related. 

Two emperor tamarin monkeys were found in an abandoned home on Tuesday. One money can be seen hiding in a closet where Dallas police found the pair

This photo provided by the Dallas Zoo shows an emperor tamarins that lives at the zoo where the monkeys were taken on Monday

In a statement referring to the missing monkeys, the zoo added earlier this week: 'Emperor tamarin monkeys would likely stay close to home - the Zoo searched near their habitat and across Zoo grounds and did not locate them.

'It was clear the habitat had been intentionally compromised. Based on the Dallas Police Department's initial assessment, they have reason to believe the tamarins were taken

Lynn Cuny, founder and president of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia, Texas, said she wouldn't be surprised if it turns out the monkeys were taken to be sold. Depending on the buyer, she said, a monkey like those could be sold for 'several thousands' of dollars.

'Primates are high-dollar animals in the wildlife pet trade in this country,' Cuny said. 'Everybody that wants one wants one for all the wrong reasons - there´s never any good reason to have any wild animal as a pet.'

She said there were a variety of ways the taken monkeys could have been in danger, from an improper diet to exposure to cold. Temperatures in Dallas dipped into the 20s on Tuesday during a winter storm.

A string of 'unusual' incidents at the Zoo over the past two weeks spawned a third police probe after what appears to be a campaign against the zoo

The Zoo was closed on January 13 for a day after the big cat called Nova went missing and was eventually found near her habitat. 

Police said a cutting tool was intentionally used to make the opening in her enclosure. A similar gash also was found in an enclosure for langur monkeys, though none got out or appeared harmed, police said. 

On January 21, a 35-year-old endangered vulture named Pin was found dead, with the zoo issuing a statement saying that its death did not appear to be 'natural.'

Zoo President and CEO Gregg Hudson said the vulture had 'a wound', and that the 'circumstances of the death are unusual'.

Dallas Police Department was again alerted, with the zoo admitting they contacted authorities because of 'recent incidents'.

The search for missing clouded leopard Nova shut down the Dallas Zoo as police helped search for the animal that officials described as not dangerous

Zoo officials discovered after Nova's escape that her habitat had been cut - along with that of a langur monkey enclosure on January 13 

On January 21, a 35-year-old endangered vulture named Pin was found dead, with the zoo issuing a statement saying that its death did not appear to be 'natural.'

After the death of Pin, the vulture, the zoo added that they had added additional cameras throughout the Zoo and increased onsite security patrols.

They said that they would continue to 'expand' safety and security measures' to 'keep animals and staff safe'.

The zoo also boasts lions, tigers, and cheetahs among its predators, as well as elephants and crocodiles, which could cause a stir if they escape.

Nova’s enclosure is right next to where the monkeys have been taken from, in the north of the zoo, while the vulture was killed in the Wilds of Africa exhibit.

Animals have escaped enclosures from the Dallas Zoo before.

Most notably, a 340-pound (154-kilogram) gorilla named Jabari jumped over a wall in 2004 and went on a 40-minute rampage that injured three people before police shot and killed the animal.