Ikea the Swedish furniture store loved by shoppers all over the world, is not somewhere you would normally associate with monkeys, unless maybe the stuffed toy variety. Shoppers on Sunday though were somewhat surprised to see a cute little monkey wearing a suede jacket wandering around an Ikea store car park in Toronto.No shoppers, staff, or the monkey were hurt, but the monkey is said to have been scared by the ordeal. It is reported to have escaped from its crate in the back of a car and then wandered through rows of parked cars, before ending up right next to the entrance of the store. Some shoppers tried to lure the monkey towards them but it was too nervous.

Ikea workers managed to trap the monkey in a corner near the entrance and then called the police. The police contacted the Animal Services Department and the monkey was taken away. The owner of the monkey was fined $200 because it is illegal to own a rhesus macaque monkey  in Ontario.

There was a flurry of Twitter comments about the money in a coat, with #Ikeamonkey trending in Toronto. A number of Twitter accounts have also been created for the stylish little monkey including @IkeaMonkey  which have amassed hundreds of followers. Photos released of the primate have been shared across social media sites. It seems people are fascinated with the site of a monkey in a suede coat.

What would you do if confronted by a monkey in a coat in shop car park? Also was the fine for the owner too lenient a punishment?