Monkeys make a break from Scottish zoo

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 6 (UPI) -- The Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland said it closed part of its park after a troop of monkeys made a break for freedom during a transfer from one habitat to another.

Zoo officials told The Scotsman the Barbary macaques didn't pose a threat, but as a precaution, they evacuated the 110-acre zoo.

It took several hours for zoo employees, using bananas and nets, to round them all up. Onlookers said the monkeys approached the bananas, but often grabbed the fruit and took off again.

The zoo was opened for the weekend.

Zoo officials said the monkeys are social animals and remain in a group for the most part. None left the zoo grounds, The Scotsman reported.

It was the second monkey escape this year. One got out of a rabies quarantine area in February.