A common langur that was brought from Tirupati recently escaped from the city zoo on Tuesday afternoon.
The common langur, a female, made good her escape when she was released into the enclosure as a trial ahead of a function in which they would be formally released for display to visitors on Thursday. A pair of common langurs, also known as Hanuman langurs, were brought from Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, only last week as part of an animal exchange programme. Along with the langurs, a pair of lions and a pair of emu were also brought in exchange for hyenas and hog deer. Minister for Zoos J. Chinchurani was to name the lions and release the animals into their enclosures.
The enclosure had been readied in anticipation of the arrival of the langurs. The enclosure had undergone repairs and received a fresh coat of paint. The moat too had been repaired and filled with water to keep the animal inside. Tree branches had also been trimmed.
However, the langur when released into the enclosure made a giant leap from a tree to another and fled the zoo compound. Zoo veterinarian Jacob Alexander and a team of keepers set out to track the animal, which kept jumping from tree to tree in the Nanthancode area. As it grew dark, the team found it difficult to follow its movement, particularly when multiple sightings from reported.
Its male partner was brought to the area in an attempt to draw it down, but to no avail. It was last thought to be perched atop a coconut palm.
The zoo has deployed personnel in the area to monitor the langur’s movements in the night. The team will be back early on Wednesday morning to recover the animal.
Zoo personnel hope that the animal will not move at night since it is new to the area.
Monkeys have escaped from the zoo before too but they always return, say officials. However, its unfamiliarity with the area could also prove to be a hurdle in its return, they say.
It is thought that the trees in the enclosure built some two decades ago have grown too big. The green canopy around the enclosure also abets the escape of monkeys.
A monkey had last escaped from the zoo in February.
