LANGLEY, B.C. _ Staff at a British Columbia zoo are devastated after a vicious vandal broke in and killed one of their resident spider monkeys.

The monkey's mate is missing and zoo keepers are hoping that the female monkey may have escaped during the attack and was not taken by the vandal.

Jocko and Mia were longtime residents of the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Langley, B.C., east of Vancouver.

``Some time in the middle of the night, we're not sure when, one person, several people _ we have no idea at this stage in the game _ broke into the zoo and cut open the spider monkey enclosure and has killed our male,'' said zoo spokeswoman Jody Henderson, her voice cracking with emotion.

``Our female is missing.''

RCMP are searching for a suspect.

Henderson said zoo officials have no idea who is behind the break-in and they appealed for help in finding the missing monkey.

Mia is brown, about 45 centimetres high, with a long tail and steel-blue eyes.

``We want her back and if anybody has a heart left in them that has her, return her. No questions asked,'' Henderson said.

``Don't approach her though, if you do see her. I'm sure she's traumatized and scared.''

Henderson said the monkey is likely very agitated and should not be picked up or approached. She has sharp teeth.

Members of the public are being encouraged to contact the zoo or police if they have any information or if they spot the monkey.

She said the pair of spider monkeys have lived at the zoo for at least 15 years.

``They're long-term residents and family members here at the zoo and it's just devastating.''

Spider monkeys are indigenous to the tropical rain forests of Central and South America.

The adorable primates, normally weighing in at less than six kilograms, have long arms and legs and tails that they use to swing from branch to branch in the forest.