Tatra National Park guards scupper monkey's plans to visit Morskie Oko

A Brazilian monkey’s chances of seeing Morskie Oko, a lake set high in the Tatra Mountains and one of Poland’s leading tourist destinations, were ruined when National Park rangers sent it and its owners packing.

The rangers had been tipped off about the monkey’s presence in the National Park by park volunteers.

Domestic animals such as dogs, and, it appears, monkeys are not allowed to be brought into the National Park.

"It was a small, six-month-old Brazilian monkey, which was brought to the park by tourists from Germany heading towards Morskie Oko," Edward Wlazlo, the commander of the Tatra National Park Rangers told PAP.

"They were arrested close to the famous Mickiewicz Waterfalls. The tourists presented us with all the animal's certificates, including tests and a permit allowing the monkey to enter Poland," he added. "They explained that they were unaware that they could not enter the national park and said that they had been on walks with the monkey in national parks in Germany and Slovakia."

The tourists were not fined, but they were told the park rules and headed back to the car park at Palenica Bialczanska.