Patas monkey escapes from Taipei Zoo in Taiwan

March 16 (UPI) -- The Taipei Zoo in Taiwan said employees and local authorities are searching for an 8-year-old Patas monkey that escaped from its enclosure.

The zoo said in a Facebook post that the male monkey, named Nan Dao, escaped while a zookeeper was cleaning the enclosure about 11 a.m. Monday.

Officials said the zookeeper was working to restrain a younger monkey that had wandered into a corridor during the cleaning, when Nan Dao opened the unlocked cage door and fled into the nearby forest.

Officials said zookeepers have placed traps and infrared cameras near where the monkey escaped and search teams have been sent into the nearby mountains to try to locate the wayward primate.

Members of the public are being urged to keep an eye out for Nan Dao, but are being asked to alert the zoo and keep a safe distance from the animal.