A chimp, a branch, and an escape

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chimpanzees escaped at the Kansas City Zoo.

They were too smart for their zookeepers.

That, at least, was Randy Wisthoff's explanation. He runs the zoo.

“Chimps are so smart,” he said.

Wisthoff thinks one of the chimps found or broke off a long branch. The chimp leaned it against a wall. The chimp climbed to the top. Then he got six friends to join him. They all climbed up the branch.

At one point, three chimps went over the wall. Only zoo workers can enter that area though.

None of the zoo visitors were ever in danger.

The breakout happened in the afternoon. It took an hour to get the animals back in. Twelve chimps live in a huge fenced-in area. It's the size of 75 football fields.

Zoo workers lured the chimps back with fruit and vegetables.

“It was almost their dinnertime,” Wisthoff said.

Most of the chimps went back quietly. One chimp liked his freedom. Zookeepers offered him malted milk balls.

That worked, said Wisthoff.

Chimps can be dangerous. The largest chimp weighed about 150 pounds. They also can be very strong.

The escape caused a "Code Red." That's the zoo's emergency plan. Visitors had to stay where they were. About 1,800 people visited the zoo Thursday.

Zoo visitor Mari Cintron was at the penguin exhibit when the chimps escaped. She was with three children. They all enjoyed their time.

“We just visited with the penguins,” she said. “It was very calm.”

But Brie Huffman was stuck in an area where food is kept. It was boring and smelly. Zoo workers gave her free tickets. That made her happy.

The free tickets are good until Dec. 31. Huffman said she will be using all of them.