Two emperor tamarin monkeys that had gone missing from the Dallas Zoo earlier this week were found Tuesday in the closet of an empty home in Lancaster, according to a Dallas Police spokesperson.

The latest: Authorities are still asking for the public's help in identifying an individual seen in surveillance camera footage from the zoo.

The big picture: This is the latest in a string of strange incidents at the zoo over the last month.

• Two weeks ago, Nova, a clouded leopard, escaped the leopard enclosure through a cut in the mesh. Police have opened a criminal investigation, assisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, noting that the cut was "intentional."
• The zoo found a similar cut at the langur monkeys' enclosure — though none of the monkeys left the exhibit.
• Last week, Pin, an endangered lappet-faced vulture, was found dead with what police called "an unusual wound."

Zoom in: Emperor tamarin monkeys would likely stay close to home if they left on their own, according to the zoo. Employees searched near their habitat and across the zoo's 110-acre property but didn't locate them.

Of note: The zoo has increased security efforts, including doubling the number of overnight security guards and adding cameras borrowed from Dallas police.

Flashback: Other zoos have experienced thefts recently, too.

• Twelve squirrel monkeys were reportedly stolen from a zoo in Louisiana over the weekend.
• Late last year, two Galápagos tortoises were stolen from a zoo in Florida.
• And last summer, a macaw stolen from a zoo in New Mexico was found dead.

The South is on track to become the U.S.'s population center for the first time in history, AP reports.

Why it matters: Texas population growth is largely fueled by increases in communities of color, outpacing the increase in white residents.

• The state has gained the most Black migrants of any state in the past decade, per a Brookings analysis of Census Bureau data.

Driving the news: Black History Month begins today.

The big picture: While growth in the Hispanic population in Texas draws the most attention, the Lone Star State has been a key part of the growth of the "New South."

• Texas, Georgia and North Carolina lead all other states in Black migration, even when other parts of the South started to see fewer Black residents move in.

Zoom in: Dallas is second to only Atlanta in major metro areas with the highest migration of Black residents.

Yes, but: Texas doesn't lead in Black life expectancy, educational achievement and wealth, and Dallas-Fort Worth falls in the middle of the road on the Brookings' Black Progress Index.

• Dallas County has a predicted Black life expectancy rating of 74.1 years on the index, compared to 75.4 in Tarrant County, 77.4 in Denton County and 78.4 in Collin County.

Dan Quinn, the Cowboys' backwards hat-wearing defensive coordinator, announced that he'll return to the team instead of taking a head coaching job elsewhere — but the franchise still has to make some hard decisions this offseason.

The latest: The team is parting ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after cutting ties with at least six assistant coaches.

The big picture: Several star players are set to become free agents and Dallas doesn't have much salary cap space.

Zoom in: Running back Tony Pollard — who led the team in rushing this year — will become a free agent unless Dallas signs him or applies the franchise tag, which would set Pollard's salary at a projected $10.1 million for next year, per Bleacher Report.

• Tight end Dalton Schultz, who scored three touchdowns in the team's two playoff games this year, is also headed to free agency.

Yes, but: Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who's scheduled to make $10.9 million next season, is reportedly willing to accept a pay cut to remain in Dallas.

The other side of the ball: Safety Donovan Wilson — who led the team in tackles — and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch are set to become free agents, too.

Of note: Kicker Brett Maher will also be a free agent. After he contracted a case of the "yips" in this year's playoffs, don't expect to see him in a Cowboys uniform again.

🧑‍⚖️ A 27-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for intoxication manslaughter in the death of an off-duty Euless police detective. (WFAA)

🛣 A man was killed in a single-vehicle crash Monday night after his SUV went airborne off a slick Arlington overpass. (CBS11)

⚖️ Mediation is scheduled to begin today between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and three of the four former employees who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against him. (DMN)

🍺 A former homebrewer plans to open Smittox Brewing in the summer to become one of the first Black-owned breweries in D-FW. (D Magazine)

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A new exhibit at the African American Museum in Dallas highlights the influence of Black cowboys on Texas and American history.

Driving the news: Black History Month starts today, making your museum visit extra timely.

Why it matters: Black cowboys are underrepresented in cowboy culture, despite having a long history in Texas.

Details: "Black Cowboys: An American Story" examines the lives of free and enslaved Black men, women and children who worked on Texas ranches and participated in cattle drives from pre-Civil War times to the turn of the 20th century.

• The exhibit includes over 50 artifacts, photos, documents and films.

Where: The African American Museum at Fair Park.

• Entry is free, and the exhibit runs until April 15.

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