Sevierville Police Department officers responded to Soaky Mountain Waterpark yesterday afternoon after receiving a call from management reporting a dead monkey inside a vehicle.

When officers arrived, they found a nine-week old marmoset monkey deceased in a car in the parking lot. Another marmoset monkey was also in the vehicle. That five-week old monkey appeared to be in distress from the extreme interior vehicle heat and was transported to Appalachian Animal Hospital in Morristown for treatment. As of this afternoon, the hospital reported that although the monkey is very dehydrated, its condition is improving.

The outside air temperature at the time was about 87 degrees. According to ASPCA.org, vehicle interior temperature in the summer can rise from 85 degrees to 120 degrees within thirty minutes.

Authorities arrested 54-year old Nova Brettell of Warsaw, Indiana for aggravated animal cruelty and 54-year old David Paul Brettell, also of Warsaw, Indiana, for animal cruelty. Additional charges are possible. The investigation is ongoing.

(the picture used for this story is a similar marmoset monkey and not one of the two involved in this incident)