he can live with me

The rhesus monkey, named Darwin, became an internet sensation when he escaped from his owner Yasmin Nakhuda's car in the parking lot of the Canadian store on Sunday, and was caught on camera ambling about in a fitted sheepskin coat.

He was captured by animal control officers and moved to a primate sanctuary, but today Ms Nakhuda said Darwin should have the right to choose, and revealed she is considering taking legal action.

"He needs his mother like a child needs his mother," she was quoted by the National Post as saying, adding to the Globe and Mail: "How do we know what he needs unless he's given the right to choose? I think he should be given the right to choose. If he chooses something else than me, that's fine. For me, it has never been about me, it has always been about him."

Today, Ms Nakhuda revealed she initially tried to return Darwin to the breeder who supplied him, but she changed her mind after hearing his cries. She said Darwin stayed near her at all times, including while she slept.