Reputable zoos only acquire their animals ethically, whether through wildlife conservation or because an animal can’t return to the wild.
The Animals at the zoo are normally quite complacent. They don’t have to fight for their food, and they don’t have to worry about predators either. But for some animals, that’s not good enough. Some animals still yearn for freedom, even to their detriment. Here are some of the craziest zoo escapes animals have had.
1. Ken The Orangutan
Ken Allen was born in the San Diego Zoo. You’d think that would mean he’d not yearn for life in nature. Well, Ken not only escapes the zoo once but also three times. He would even close his cage to cover up what he had done. He was quickly captured each time.
2. Evelyn The Gorilla
Evelyn was also a notorious ape with a knack for escaping. In 1986, she looked at the 12-foot wall that separated her from the rest of the zoo and hatched a plan. She needed help, so she got a fellow gorilla to boost her over the wall.
3. Prideful Lions
Taronga Zoo in Sydney has many exotic animals, including a lion pride. While guests were camping at the zoo for an event, the lions decided to give them a scare and broke out. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the lions were put back in their enclosure just hours later.
4. Flamingos On The Run
You’d think flamingos are relatively easy to keep in a zoo. Well, in 2005, two flamingos decided to leave the Sedgewick County Zoo in Kansas. Since then, one has disappeared, but the other was seen 17 years later in the Gulf of Mexico.
5. Rusty The Red Panda
One little red panda decided the Smithsonian National Zoological Park wouldn’t hold him forever. Rusty the Red Panda orchestrated his escape in 2013. As people looked for him, he was spotted near the zoo in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. He was recaptured that same day.
6. Cyril The Sea Lion
Sea Lions don’t seem like the most maneuverable animals, so how did Cyril the sea lion escape from Storybook Gardens in London, Ontario? After getting out of this enclosure, he followed rivers all the way south until he crossed into the U.S. He was eventually found in Ohio and returned to Canada.
7. Chuva The Macaw
Chuva The Macaw plotted her escape from the Vancouver Zoo and had the perfect plan. Her caretakers thought they had made sure she couldn’t escape, but they didn’t foresee her sneaking out and hitchhiking in the engine cabinet of an RV. Thankfully, she was returned safe and sound days later.
8. Escape from Tokyo Sea Life Park
A penguin in Tokyo Sea Life Park saw an opportunity to escape the artificial penguin pools and took it. He managed to make it to the middle of Tokyo Bay, where he stayed for a year. Eventually, he was returned, but the caretakers couldn’t believe he was healthy.
9. Monkey Escape
We’ve spoken about individuals escaping, but what about a hundred? In 1935, a hundred macaques escaped on a plank that a caretaker had accidentally left behind. It took days, but some monkeys returned willingly while others were captured.
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