French police use Taser on chocolate-loving monkey

MARSEILLE, France -- French police had to use a Taser to finally catch a monkey that had been attacking children to steal their candy.

Police told La Provence they suspect the monkey was raised illegally and then abandoned in the city. The one-year-old monkey quickly found a new source of food: School children who would hand the primate Kinder chocolates.

The chocolate-only diet let to malnutrition which police believed caused the monkey to become more aggressive. After the animal "scratched some children" at an elementary school, police started hunting for the monkey. The animal eluded them for weeks.

"We were given the location, but the time we got there he had left every time," a police spokesperson said.

On Monday, an officer finally managed to shock and cage the animal. The monkey was fed bananas and other treats once it was checked by a vet, and police say it became friendly and gave everyone hugs.

Police are still searching for the animal's original owner, who could face charges of illegally possessing a wild animal.

As for the monkey, it is now preparing for a new chocolate-free life at a zoo in central France, La Provence reports.