A chimpanzee escaped its enclosure and was on the loose at the Indianapolis Zoo Friday, and guests are being asked to shelter in place, visitors told CBS affiliate WTTV.
An Indianapolis Fire Department record shows that dispatchers were called for a reported animal bite at the zoo at 10:10 a.m., the station reported.
Visitors at the zoo told WTTV they were asked to stay inside the zoo’s dolphin exhibit after the chimpanzee reportedly escaped. A photo shared with the station appears to show the chimp standing on top of the enclosure.
One visitor, who identified himself as a bus driver, said on Facebook that he saw the fugitive ape while on a field trip at the zoo with children.
“I’m on a Field Trip at the Indianapolis Zoo with 37 kids, parents, and teachers. Why is there a Chimpanzee on the loose at the Zoo…” the driver, Sherman Williams, wrote.
The zoo housed 21 chimpanzees as of May 2024, according to an identification chart.
Several visitors who spoke to WTHR said they were told to wait in their cars after the reported escape. Indianapolis Metro Police, State Capitol Police and the city’s fire department were all on the scene, the station reported.
