Wandering zoo chimps lured with ice cream, 'fizzy drinks'

TWYCROSS, England, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Officials at a British zoo said they used ice cream and soda to lure some wandering chimps out of a secure service area.

Zookeepers at Twycross Zoo in Warwickshire said an undisclosed number of chimps somehow managed to enter a secure service area within their enclosure Thursday morning and workers used ice cream and soda drinks to lure the primates back into their living space, the Belfast Telegraph reported Thursday.

"This required closure of the zoo whilst keepers encouraged the chimps back into their normal living areas with ice cream and fizzy drinks," the zoo said in a statement. "At no time were the public at risk, and no people or chimps were harmed during the incident; however it is part of our safety procedures that we close the zoo whilst such events are resolved. Investigations will commence internally now the situation has been resolved into how the animals escaped."

The zoo was reopened by 11:30 a.m., the statement said.