A monkey that was smuggled from Peru to New York under a man's hat died while in the custody of federal agents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were looking for a permanent home when the tamarin monkey died in quarantine, explained spokeswoman Shelly Diaz.

"The cause of death was undetermined," the New York Daily News quoted Diaz. "This was an unexplained death of an otherwise healthy monkey."

The primate was seized from passenger Rolando Pinedo, 47, at the LaGuardia Airport on August 7, after the monkey slipped out from under his hat and perched on his ponytail.

Pinedo was reportedly questioned by authorities, but was eventually released. He explained he was not aware that the monkey's flight was illegal.