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(CNN) - A monkey that zookeepers believe was injured while trying to protect his son during an alleged robbery has died.
Vern, a tufted capuchin monkey, was found unconscious when Tuesday morning said Wright Park Zoo in Dodge City, Kansas.
"Although the zoo's contracted veterinarian did his best to revive him, he died at the veterinary clinic," the zoo wrote in a Facebook post.
Vern underwent surgery to repair broken bones in his leg after a robbery on September 3.
Police said in a statement that they believe someone entered the monkey enclosure and took Pickett, a two-year-old cappuccino, who is a descendant of Vern.
Vern was very protective of Pickett "and I wouldn't have let him go without a fight," said zoo director Hannah Schroder in a statement shortly after the incident.
Pickett was found unharmed outside the city limits and returned to his compound, the zoo said.
Authorities have said they don't know who did it, or exactly how Vern was hurt.
Capuchin monkeys are native to South America and spend most of their time in trees. Males grow to approximately 6 kilos in captivity and the oldest captive cappuccino lived until age 45, according to the New England Primate Conservatory.
The zoo said in a publication on October 22 that Vern was recovering well, but that veterinarians decided to put a cast on his leg because he was rummaging at the surgery site.
The cause of death is unknown, but the zoo plans to perform a necropsy.
Vern and a female monkey named Charro have been at the Wright Park Zoo since 1988, the zoo said. The couple had at least four children together and lived with their youngest children, Pickett and Jack.
Monkeys