A spokesperson for the Indianapolis Zoo confirmed nobody was injured or bitten.
INDIANAPOLIS — A chimpanzee has been returned to the enclosure at the Indianapolis Zoo after escaping Friday morning.
Jake Oakman, senior vice president of external relations at the Indianapolis Zoo, said a female chimpanzee was seen outside of the International Chimpanzee Complex around 10 a.m. Nov. 14.
Oakman said the zoo was immediately placed on lockdown, and guests were escorted to secure locations.
“Zoo guests were safe at all times,” Oakman said.
According to Oakman, the chimpanzee was sedated and returned to the exhibit.
The zoo has since reopened as normal.
Oakman confirmed nobody was injured or bitten.
“The zoo security, animal care and veterinary teams train for these scenarios and responded in a textbook and professional manner,” Oakman said.
Background on the Indianapolis Zoo’s chimpanzee exhibit:
The zoo opened the International Chimpanzee Complex over Memorial Day weekend in 2024.
It is one of the largest communities of chimpanzees in the country, and the animals can move around on a trail system, which is hundreds of feet long.
“It is designed as best as we possibly can from the point of view of the chimpanzees first,” said Dr. Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, told 13News in December 2023.
Shumaker said this allows visitors to have unexpected encounters with the animals.
“People have those moments where they are forever-changed about their understanding or their feelings about a chimpanzee,” Shumaker told 13News in December 2023. “We want to provide those opportunities, and the more comfortable the apes are, the more options they have, the more places they have to go, the more likely they are to take those opportunities and have a private moment with a visitor.”
The complex can house up to 30 chimpanzees.
