"Wild monkeys escape" might feel like a concerning headline. But if you're one inventive business owner outside of New York City, it might be the best thing to ever happen. This week, Maia covers the story of untamed monkeys who seek greener pastures on the other side of their enclosure. But once they're out, we have to ask "how do you catch a monkey?" This week, the story of Frank "Bring 'Em Back Alive" Buck and the Long Island Monkey Escape of 1935!!
When a routine zoo cleaning goes wrong, 175 monkeys decide to explore Long Island—and nothing will stop them. In 1935, famed animal collector Frank Buck’s “Monkey Mountain” became ground zero for one of the wildest jailbreaks you’ve never heard of: train-blocking primates, frantic zookeepers, fruit-stand raids, and a mischievous monkey ringleader called “Al Capone.” This mass escape hijacked headlines far beyond New York, fueling the frenzy around exotic pets and raising questions about how prepared anyone was to corral these curious creatures. Join us for a hilarious and unbelievable tale of animal adventure, where truth is definitely stranger than fiction—and where even a quiet suburb can suddenly become a jungle.
00:00:00 Catch-Up
00:26:39 Alpha Genesis Research Lab
00:40:50 Frank Buck
00:51:26 Presidential Pets
01:05:21 Back to Buck
01:20:40 The Escape & Chaos
01:49:58 Publicity & Final Thoughts
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