A false alarm sparked chaos at Australia’s Melbourne Zoo earlier today as patrons feared a baboon was on the loose.
Zoo visitors were evacuated or locked down this afternoon after an emergency alarm was activated, according to social media posts, over fears that a baboon had escaped.
“Fun start to 2024 having to leave @ZoosVictoria #melbournezoo because an animal had escaped its enclosure!” wrote a visitor named Evelyn Parr on X, formerly Twitter.
“Mr. Almost 4 keeps saying he wonders what the animal is doing, but I feel sorry for the zookeepers and hope they are safe.”
A false alarm sparked chaos at Melbourne Zoo today as patrons feared a baboon was on the loose. fake images
“An unexpected behind-the-scenes look at Melbourne Zoo… Keepers running around is not a good sign,” wrote another customer named Glenn.
“We were behind a door but there were still people in the normal area. We were then told to just head towards the front door, but everyone went about their normal day.
“So it was a baboon that came out. It took about 10 minutes to put it back. “Then they checked the fences.”
Only… We were behind a door but there were still people in the normal area… Then they told us to just head towards the front door, 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 entire saga was simply a false alarm due to an emergency alert being “activated in error”.
“Melbourne Zoo was closed for less than 10 minutes this afternoon when an Emergency Alert was mistakenly activated,” a Melbourne Zoo spokesperson said in a statement.
“There was no emergency and visitors were able to continue enjoying their visit to the Zoo.”
When asked how an emergency alert could be accidentally activated, the spokesperson told news.com.au they were reviewing how this occurred.
A fun start to 2024 having to leave @zoosvictoria #melbournezoo Like an animal had escaped from its enclosure! Mr. almost 4 keeps saying that he wonders what the animal is doing 😂 but I feel for the zookeepers and I hope they are safe 🤞🏼
—Evelyn Parr (@ev_parr) January 2, 2024
They added that the zoo’s process is to “act immediately with emergency procedures while the situation is assessed” and therefore today’s closure was “standard practice.”
The zoo’s Hamadryas baboons are found on the main trail through the park and are a popular attraction.
The Melbourne Zoo website states that in the northeastern African savannah, “baboons gather in troops of up to 400 animals.”
“Each baboon’s role within the extended family is reinforced through constant interactions,” their website states.
According to Melbourne Zoo, there was no emergency and the entire saga was simply a false alarm due to an emergency alert being “activated in error”. iStock
“Other social cues include their pink hindparts, with an enlarged, shiny rear indicating the dominant male.”
While baboons are usually indifferent to humans, they can attack when provoked and are potentially very dangerous due to their sharp claws and teeth.
In August 2023, Perth Zoo was partially evacuated after a gibbon escaped from its enclosure.
The animal managed to escape from its habitat, prompting a quick response from zoo staff.
In November 2022, five lions escaped from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo due to a fault in the park’s fencing.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn