Planet of the apes: Authorities besiege chimp house in Swedish zoo after escape attempt
Brady Knox
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Three chimpanzees were gunned down after attempting a daring escape from Sweden‘s Furuvik Zoo, while four others remain besieged by authorities inside a building.
The group of seven chimpanzees attempted a breakout from their enclosures on Wednesday, to which they were greeted by gunfire that killed three and injured another. Zoo authorities justified their decision to kill the animals rather than tranquilize them, saying that chimpanzees are such volatile animals that tranquilizing them wouldn’t be enough, the zoo’s information director told Aftonbladet. They added that previous reports saying the animals were shot due to a lack of tranquilizers were the result of miscommunication; the zoo has plenty, but they take too long to take effect to be administered safely.
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Four chimpanzees remain on the loose inside Furuvik’s chimp house, the Guardian reported. Police and staff are unable to get inside the chimp house due to the dangerous nature of the animals. Drones were used to help locate the remaining animals.
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Some of the chimps involved in the breakout have made headlines before — one named Santino previously awed researchers when he was found stashing stones to hurl at visitors, a find that suggested the mammal had advanced planning abilities previously thought unique to humans, Science magazine reported. The chimp is also reportedly a favorite of Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine, with Svensk Damtinig magazine even claiming that the Norwegian royals own two of his paintings. The information director was unable to tell the outlet whether Santino was among those killed.
An investigation into the escape and conduct of the zoo is underway by Swedish authorities.