The monkey business jokers
The mystery of how a monkey came to set up home in a tree at a Staffordshire beauty spot has now been solved.
Visitors to Cannock Chase had been left scratching their heads as to how the cuddly orang-utan became a feature there.
But those in the know have now revealed its name is Marcus, aptly picked after the popular Marquis Drive area of the Chase where it was rescued from a pile of rubbish. It has been the talk of the area ever since it was spotted.
And people have been making special visits to try and track the toy down.
Little was known about where it came from and it was thought a group of jokers had been moving it around different trees leaving visitors wondering where it would next appear.
But Hednesford couple Angela and Raymond Clarke returned from a recent holiday to find they were the talk of the town among friends who knew they were partly responsible.
Mr Clarke had placed it in a low branch of a tree but the couple have no idea how it ended higher up.
Mrs Clarke, aged 48, said: "It has caused us no end of fun and we couldn't believe it when it appeared in the newspaper, it's been fantastic. We had no idea about the fuss it had caused and when we returned from holiday all of our friends were saying 'your orang-utan's been in the paper'," she added.
She has now penned a note to forest ranger Doug Stanley explaining the origins of Cannock Chase's newest resident.
Mrs Clarke said: "He was named Marcus because he was sadly found near Marquis Drive. He was in despair, entangled in a pile of flytipping rubbish. My husband could not leave him and had to set him free."
