Tiger's escape triggered by sneaky ape

MIAMI, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Visitors at Jungle Island in Miami won't be able to see two Bengal tigers while the zoo tries to determine how one leaped over his pen's fence, officials said.

The big cat's escape turned out to be part of a chain of events triggered by an 8-year-old ape that also sneaked out of its cage,The Miami Herald reported Monday.

The park was open Sunday, although tiger Mahesh and another big cat weren't on display while wildlife officials worked to determine how Mahesh scaled a 14-foot fence, then propelled himself over the top, officials said.

No one was injured.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said the agency closed the tiger exhibit "until the facility makes certain changes to its caging requirements so that this doesn't happen again."

Investigators are looking into the escapes of Mahesh and Watson, the ape, the Herald said.

"We're investigating escaped captive wildlife, which is a violation of the law," Pino said. "It is fair to say someone would be found responsible."

The events on Saturday began when Watson, a white-handed gibbon native to Southeast Asia, escaped from his pen and worked his way over to the tiger enclosure, zoo workers said.

Watson's presence at the tiger exhibit excited Mahesh and the tiger chased the ape, eventually scaling the fence and lunging over the top, Jungle Island curator Jason Chatfield said.