The Associated Press reports the return of a monkey, on its own accord, after its escape from the San Diego Zoo Friday. Takala, a golden-bellied mangabey, got out of the new monkey exhibit but he was found less than an hour later, waiting to get back inside.

A bone found on a British beach is all set to revive an interesting myth of that region that says that a monkey washed ashore during the Napoleonic Wars was executed by apprehensive local people for being a French spy. Police in Hartlepool, on the northeast coast of England, said that the one-foot bone found on a beach last month was not of any human being, instead it came from a monkey or gorilla.

The demise of one of Woody Woodpecker's long-lost relatives has apparently been exaggerated. After sixty years, scientists have re-discovered the ivory-billed woodpecker in rural eastern Arkansas. Experts considered the bird extinct, but now several sightings including a video are reported in a protected forest area. It's the first confirmed sighting of the big, dramatic looking bird since 1944. It is said to be shy and prefer deep woodland areas in the southeast part of the country. Researchers in the journal Science say, "The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), long suspected to be extinct, has been rediscovered in the 'Big Woods' region of eastern Arkansas. Visual encounters during 2004 and 2005, and analysis of a video clip from April 2004, confirm the existence of at least one male. " Scientists also confirm hearing drumming sounds produced by the bird. Audubon Society ornithologist Frank Gill calls it a major discovery, "This is huge. Just huge. It is kind of like finding Elvis. " Scientists thought the ivory-billed woodpecker was one of six species to become extinct since the late 19th century. Experts say the bird's lifespan is about 15 years, which suggests a breeding habitat somewhere. Gill says, "There has got to be a pretty serious lineage. It's got to be more than a few. " He says "It's just the most exciting report in my lifetime. I think we will move . . . to make this a globally important bird wildlife area. "