Chimp Safely Returned After Indianapolis Zoo Lockdown
The Indianapolis Zoo has released a statement after an incident involving one of the animals in its care escaped its enclosure, triggering a lockdown.
What Triggered the Indianapolis Zoo Lockdown
The zoo was placed on lockdown on Friday morning, around 10 AM, after a female chimpanzee was spotted loose outside her exhibit. Jake Oakman, Senior Vice President of External Relations at the Indianapolis Zoo, told media outlets that once loose, the zoo activated its emergency procedures.
Guests were moved to secure locations, and the entire zoo was placed on lockdown while teams got to work.
How Zoo Teams Responded to the Escape
According to the zoo, their animal care, security, and veterinary teams handled the situation exactly as they are trained to do. The chimpanzee was safely sedated and returned to her habitat without incident. No guests, staff members, or animals were injured at any point.
Indianapolis Zoo Confirms Guests Were Safe
The zoo emphasized that visitor safety was never in jeopardy and that their response went exactly as planned. After everything was resolved, the zoo reopened to the public as normal.
At approximately 10am, a female chimpanzee was seen outside her exhibit.
Following emergency protocol, the Zoo was immediately locked down, and all guests were escorted to secure locations.
The chimpanzee was sedated and returned to her exhibit. Zoo guests were safe at all times.
There were no injuries to guests, Zoo staff, or the animal.
The Zoo’s security, animal care, and veterinary teams train for these scenarios and responded in a textbook and professional manner.
The Zoo has reopened as normal. - Indianapoolis Zoo via Facebook
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Inside the Zoo’s Expansive Chimpanzee Habitat
The Penny & Jock Fortune International Chimpanzee Complex opened in the spring of 2024 and features multiple spaces for the primates to explore, along with more than 1,300 feet of trails that span the zoo's grounds.
Stretching across the Zoo, this unique habitat is connected by an elevated superhighway that lets chimpanzees explore, connect, play wherever curiosity takes them. The vast majority of the Chimpanzee Trail is visible to visitors, stretching directly over and alongside public walkways for a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. - Indianapolis Zoo
All in total, there are twenty chimpanzees that call the complex home.
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Gallery Credit: Jacob Calloway