Carter the wayward monkey settles into new home, is love on the way?

Carter the monkey, who escaped from his Charlotte owner’s car last spring and eluded searchers for a day, has settled quite well into his new digs at a wildlife sanctuary in San Antonio.

And monkey love may even be on the way.

On Tuesday, after a month of slow introduction, workers at Primarily Primates let Carter meet fellow rhesus macaque Tori up close. Neither had met another monkey before.

Carter and Tori have been grooming and seem “very receptive” to each other so far, workers at the non-profit sanctuary reported on Facebook. Workers even snapped a photo of the pair nuzzling close within minutes of their introduction in a welcoming tunnel.

Prospects weren’t so bright for Carter after he opened his cage and a car door, then scampered into the parking lot of Carolinas HealthCare System- University last March.

He bit a hospital worker who tried to catch him, although tests showed Carter had no contagious diseases.

Carter’s owner was charged with misdemeanor possession of an animal that is illegal to own in Mecklenburg County. In August, she surrendered her ownership rights in court in exchange for having the charge dropped.

Before he headed to Texas in early December, Carter spent months under the care of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Animal Care & Control Division. Workers there quickly grew to love the rambunctious monkey and hated to see him eventually go, but knew it was best for him to be with other monkeys in a sanctuary.

Melissa Knicely, spokeswoman for Animal Care & Control, alerted Charlotte media on Wednesday to how Carter is faring in the Lone Star State. “Carter has adjusted very well, and everyone at Primarily Primates is quite fond of him,” she said.

Knicely let everyone in on Carter’s budding love interest, too.

Tori, who happens to be a Shelby native, arrived at Primarily Primates last spring from a sanctuary in Kentucky. Both she and Carter had spent the beginning of their lives kept as pets.

“Carter and Tori’s story is sure to bring you Tuesday happiness,” Primarily Primates said on its Facebook page where it unveiled fresh-off-the-press photos of the pair together.

“Isn’t a happy ending beautiful?”

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Carter the wayward monkey settles into new home, is love on the way?."