Do allegations of abuse change the way we look at the Ikea monkey?

We have all been having a barrel of fun with the Ikea monkey, that adorable Japanese macaque that waddled into our hearts late last year when he suddenly appeared in a busy parking lot wearing a shearling coat and diaper.

Darwin, the runaway primate, has spawned handfuls of Internet memes, has been mentioned on U.S. late-night talk shows and is the star of his own video game, in which he collects pieces of Ikea furniture while dodging cars and throwing… erm, monkey-specific projectiles.

It has also spurred a custody suit between the monkey’s previous owner and Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, where he has been staying since being scooped up at a Toronto Ikea more than a month ago.

[ Related: Sanctuary alleges Ikea monkey was strangled and hit with a wooden spoon ]

As that suit winds on, it has become bitter, the stakes have gotten higher and the allegations have become more serious. Suggestions that Darwin was abused have come to light, throwing a shadow on the monkey’s seemingly-happy upbringing.

The Canadian Press reports that the primate sanctuary raised the specter of abuse in its fight to retain possession of the little monkey. Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary alleges in court documents that Darwin was hit by his previous owner, Yasmin Nakhuda.

The claim alleges that Nakhuda, her husband and two children struck Darwin with wooden spoons, strangled him, locked him in tiny crates and failed to change his diaper for days on end.

The suit further alleges that the family was planning on having the monkey's teeth removed to stop him from biting them. Those charges are simple allegations at this point.

Nakhuda’s lawyer says the allegations are an attempt to change the tide of opinion in a very public ownership dispute.

Lawyer Ted Charney says in a statement, according to the Canadian Press:

It is hard to envision everyone’s favourite monkey suffering in such a way. Hard to think the same owners that dressed him in a stylish shearling coat and, in one video, tried to teach him how to brush his teeth, would strike him, strangle him and worse.

But the allegations do underline the serious concern about monkey ownership. Darwin is considered a wild animal, and prohibited as a pet by city bylaws. Proper care and treatment is a significant problem associated with trying to control a wild animal, indicative of the clashes that can occur, and the troubles that can arise.

[ Related: Ikea monkey owner wants Darwin back in her life 'forever' ]

It doesn’t happen every day — that an adorable monkey comes along and entertains us all so thoroughly. Were we so wrapped up in the moment? Were each of us too focused on his puffy coat and near-human face to consider the serious realities of the case?

The ownership hearing will return to court on January 31. For now, the allegations of animal abuse remain unfounded. But those allegations should remind us that behind the fun of the Ikea monkey, a real primate swings in the balance.