Perth Zoo evacuated after ape escapes enclosure

Chaos broke out at Perth Zoo after an ape escaped its enclosure forcing the evacuation of bemused tourists.

An ape has escaped from its enclosure at Perth Zoo, with parts of the facility evacuated. Credit: The Bell Tower Times

An ape has escaped from its enclosure at Perth Zoo, with parts of the facility evacuated.

The gibbon was on the loose after “swinging” out of his habitat on Tuesday, much to the surprise of zoo guests.

The animal tasted freedom for about half an hour before he was caught by zoo staff, Perth Now reported.

“One of Perth Zoo’s Javan Gibbons was over-exuberant while swinging and found himself in a tree outside of his habitat,” Perth Zoo said in a statement.

An ape has escaped from its enclosure at Perth Zoo, with parts of the facility evacuated. Credit: The Bell Tower Times

“The Zoo’s expert primate and veterinary teams acted quickly and have safely sedated him and will now move him to a safe area behind-the-scenes for monitoring.

“At no stage were any visitors in danger, but as a precaution, the public was escorted out of the area. Our animal carers are now closely monitoring him and the rest of the Javan Gibbons, and they appear settled and well.”

Photos posted online by The Bell Tower Times show a section of the zoo cordoned off while staff and guests look on.

It’s not the first time an animal has broken out of their enclosure at Perth Zoo.

In May 2017, Sunday visitors were stunned when they found two orangutans on a boardwalk alongside their enclosure.

The young orangutan had either fallen or dropped from a rope into an external garden.

Its mother dropped down from a nesting platform to retrieve her child. The boardwalk was evacuated and, after 22 minutes of freedom, the pair climbed back to their enclosure using an external wall.

This story was first published in Perth Now and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Perth Zoo evacuated after ape escapes enclosure