MONKEY BUSINESS

Legal Assistant Fired After Jumping Into El Paso Zoo’s Spider Monkey Pen

A video of Lucy Rae attempting to feed the monkeys Hot Cheetos went viral.

A Texas woman has lost her job as a litigation assistant after she jumped into the El Paso Zoo’s spider monkey enclosure, TMZ reports. Lucy Rae, who worked at Lovett Law Firm in the personal injury division, was fired Monday after the firm saw a video of the incident that has since gone viral. In the video, Rae can be seen engaging with the monkeys near an artificial waterfall. She reportedly fed Hot Cheetos to the monkeys, Libby and Sunday. The zoo director has called Rae’s behavior “stupid and lucky” because the monkeys are on a special diet, so the Cheetos could have given them stomach and bowel issues. The zoo has filed a complaint and the case is under investigation, according to KVIA. It is unclear whether criminal charges have been filed.