Monkeys Hitch A Ride To Rotterdam Aboard Maersk Ship

Photo courtesy Maersk Line Social

A group of monkeys found themselves taking an unexpected trip to Europe after boarding a Maersk ship in Malaysia.

The five monkeys were discovered climbing on top of containers aboard the 15,550 TEU Eugene Maersk a few days after departing the Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia bound for Rotterdam, but by that time it was too late to return the stowaways back home.

After noticing the monkeys onboard, the crew of the Eugene Maersk alerted the Copenhagen Zoo who helped identify the species and provided instructions on diet and how to catch the primates. The crew was eventually able to catch the monkeys and hold them in a makeshift cage.

Upon arrival in Rotterdam, the monkey’s were released to the Dutch monkey foundation, Stitching AAP.

Maersk Line notes that this is not the first time monkeys have boarded a Maersk ship. In 2011, a monkey was found stowed away on the 8,160 TEU Skagen Maersk.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 108,730 members