A few of your TikTok feeds would possibly function the content material of Kim Raymond “Ray” Feaste , a Black man who is usually seen residing his finest life together with his pet monkey, Thabo. Nonetheless, the creator claims he’s been the goal of each critics and cops following a collection of complaints.
Feaste advised Native 10 Information his life with Thabo started 5 years in the past when a Las Vegas lab donated the newborn monkey to him after the animal’s mom died within the lab. Thabo ended up within the lab’s custody from a protracted line of African vervet monkeys who have been imported for polio vaccine analysis, a few of whom escaped and located security within the wild by Dania Seaside, Fla., the report says.
Because the two have been collectively, Feaste paperwork his each day life with Thabo by way of a collection of amusing social media posts. From them occurring procuring journeys to the grocery store, hopping about lodge rooms and munching down on rooster wings, the development throughout content material is usually that Thabo is let free within the surroundings. The 2 have rendered over three million followers.
Right here, Thabo seems to tear up a lodge room:
Biologists Converse Out
Biologists have grown involved about Thabo’s content material, arguing the monkey must be within the wild as an alternative of residing the lifetime of a domesticated pet. Veternarian Dr. Pete Otovic advised Native 10 its extremely unlikely a facility would merely give away their child monkey.
Different monkey consultants fear concerning the security of human beings round these animals in addition to the well being of the monkeys themselves.
“I’m involved for the welfare of the monkey, as a result of I do know he’s not being correctly taken care of and so they do want numerous psychological enrichment, wholesome urge for food, these forms of issues” stated Dr. Deborah “Missy” Williams, an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic College, through the South Florida Solar Sentinel.
Police Bother
Specialists aren’t the one ones who have been bothering Feaste about his monkey. The creator uploaded a YouTube video exhibiting physique digicam footage he obtained from the Dooly County and Turner County Sheriff’s Workplaces in Georgia when he was stopped by officers again in October of 2024.
In a single clip, Turner County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Partain pulled Feaste over for allegedly following too near the tractor trailer in entrance of him. Sprint digicam footage reveals the 2 automobiles weren’t even in the identical lane.
Through the encounter, the video footage reveals the officer discover Thabo, who was in a cage at the back of the automobile, asking Feaste if he had paperwork to move the monkey.
“There’s no paperwork required if I’m simply touring by way of the state,” Feaste responded.
“Sure sir, you bought to have paperwork with you to move a monkey,” the officer stated. Although, he by no means produced data as to what paperwork Feaste wanted.
Because of this, Partain made Feaste step out of his automobile and frisked him for weapons. Then, he left Feaste with a warning.
“I’ve two sheriff’s departments which can be conspiring and colluding to ship me away to jail for actually no motive and the entire proof to indicate that I’m harmless is on video,” Feaste stated within the video, arguing that his constitutional rights have been violated.
Prior Police Bother
Additional fueling the priority about Thabo is the actual fact Feaste’s report isn’t essentially squeaky clear. CBS stories that again in 2013, he was arrested in Florida on the suspicion of stealing an endangered loggerhead sea turtle in addition to seizing sea turtle eggs from their nest. Nonetheless, the cost was dismissed after the decide discovered officers didn’t learn him his Miranda rights and decided he was incompetent to face trial, per Solar Sentinel’s report.
As of now, Feaste isn’t on the radar of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee, permitting him and Thabo to proceed residing life like its golden, per Native 10. Although, the prospect of him being apprehended by authorities continues to be probably.