'Is that a monkey in your ponytail?'

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Passengers aboard Spirit Airlines Flight 180 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to New York's LaGuardia International Airport had an unexpected travel companion Wednesday: a small monkey. A passenger who originally departed from Lima, Peru, and connected in Fort Lauderdale had been hiding the small monkey in his ponytail, under his hat, according to Spirit Airlines spokeswoman Alison Russell. During the flight, the monkey crawled out of its hiding spot, forcing the owner to hold it in his hands, where the unexpected visitor was soon spotted by fellow passengers and crew members, Russell said. The Port Authority Police Department was contacted by Spirit Airlines, and officials met the owner and the monkey at the gate. Port Authority spokesman Pasquale DiFulco released a statement saying the monkey was never loose in the airport, as originally reported. "We've contacted health officials, and man and monkey will be turned over to appropriate officials. He was never on the loose in the airport," DiFulco said

Airline asks, 'Is that a monkey in your ponytail?' - CNN.com