No Monkeying Around: Chimpanzees Escape British Zoo

The Chester Zoo in Cheshire, Britain, has been evacuated and closed after the escape of an unidentified number of chimpanzees.

According to the Chester Standard, a spokesperson for the Zoo maintained that none of the chimpanzees have escaped into the public and thus remain on zoo grounds. Officials closed the zoo as a precaution and are currently trying to recapture the animals. Workers trying to retain the animals will have a lot of ground to cover. The zoo covers 110 acres. The BBC reports that the chimpanzees escaped after they "found their way into a nearby keepers' area, where their food is usually prepared." While chimpanzees and monkey are both primates, they are very different animals. Chimpanzees share some 98% of human genes and are the closest relative to humans in the animal kingdom. They are also regarded as highly intelligent and mobile.