A false alarm caused chaos at Australia’s Melbourne Zoo earlier today as patrons feared a baboon had escaped.
Visitors to the zoo were either evacuated or put into lockdown this evening after an emergency alarm was activated, according to social media posts, with fears a baboon had escaped.
“Fun start to 2024 having to leave @ZoosVictoria #melbournezoo because an animal has escaped from its enclosure!” a visitor named Evelyn Parr wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“The almost 4-year-old kept saying he wondered what the animals were doing, but I feel for the zookeepers and hope they are safe.”
A false alarm caused chaos at Melbourne Zoo earlier today as patrons feared a baboon had escaped. Getty Images
“Unexpected behind-the-scenes look at Melbourne Zoo … Keeper running is not a good sign,” wrote another patron named Glenn.
“We are behind the gate but there are still people in the common area. We were then told to just head to the main gate but everyone was going about their normal day.
“So it was a baboon that came out. Took about 10 minutes to put it back in. Then they checked the fence.”
Just sort of… We were behind the gate but there were still people in the common area…We were then told to just head to the main gate but everyone was going about their normal day…
— Glenn Roberts (@roo181) January 2, 2024
However, according to Melbourne Zoo, there was no emergency and the whole story was just a false alarm because the emergency alert was “mistakenly activated.”
“Melbourne Zoo was on lockdown for less than 10 minutes this evening when the Emergency Alert was mistakenly activated,” a Melbourne Zoo spokesperson said in a statement.
“There is no emergency and visitors can continue to enjoy their Zoo visit.”
When asked how the emergency alert could have been accidentally activated, the spokesperson told news.com.au they were looking into how this happened.
A fun start to 2024 had to go @ZoosVictoria #melbournezoo because an animal has escaped from its cage! Mr nearly 4 always says he wonders what the animals are doing ? but I feel for the zoo keepers and hope they are safe ??
— Evelyn Parr (@ev_parr) January 2, 2024
They added that the zoo’s process is to “immediately perform emergency procedures while the situation is being assessed” and therefore today’s closure is “standard practice.”
The zoo’s Hamadryas baboons are located on the main route through the park and are a popular attraction.
The Melbourne Zoo website states that in the northeastern African Savannah, “baboons congregate in teams of up to 400 animals.”
“Each baboon’s role in the extended family is reinforced through constant interaction,” says their website.
According to Melbourne Zoo, there was no emergency and the whole story was just a false alarm because the emergency alert was “mistakenly activated.” iStock
“Other social signals include their pink posteriors, with an enlarged, bright back indicating a dominant male.”
Although baboons are generally indifferent to humans, they can attack when provoked and are potentially very dangerous due to their sharp teeth and claws.
In August 2023, Perth Zoo was partially evacuated after a gibbon escaped from its enclosure.
The animal managed to swing out of its habitat, prompting a quick response from zoo staff.
In November 2022, five lions escaped from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo due to a failure in the park’s fence.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
