Chimpanzee escapes from zoo enclosure, but returns on its own

Jan. 28 (UPI) -- A chimpanzee at an Australian zoo escaped from its enclosure early Thursday morning, but it returned to the exhibit without any intervention, officials said.

The Taronga Zoo in Sydney said a contractor doing work at the facility spotted the male chimpanzee sitting calmly outside of its enclosure at 5:47 a.m. Thursday and alerted officials.

The zoo's emergency response unit was activated, but ended up not being needed, as the chimp returned to its enclosure on its own a few minutes after it was seen by the contractor.

"The chimp is safe and well and is being monitored by our specialist keepers and vets," the zoo said in a statement.

Officials said the chimpanzee troop will remain off public display until conclusion of an investigation into how the primate managed to escape.