Guests Shelter in Place During Indianapolis Zoo Lockdown After Chimpanzee Escapes Exhibit

A chimpanzee is safely back in her enclosure after she escaped and ran loose at the Indianapolis Zoo, causing guests to go into lockdown.

According to local affiliates WTTV and WISH-TV, guests visiting the zoo on Friday, Nov. 14, were in for a surprise when officials asked them to shelter in place after a chimpanzee was spotted outside of its enclosure, climbing across an outdoor path.

According to WTTV, the Indianapolis Fire Department was called to the scene at 10:10 a.m.

“At approximately 10 a.m., a female chimpanzee was seen outside her exhibit. Following emergency protocol, the Indianapolis Zoo was immediately locked down, and all guests were escorted to secure locations. The chimpanzee was sedated and returned to her exhibit. Zoo guests were safe at all times,” the zoo shared in a statement ot PEOPLE. “There were no injuries to guests, Zoo staff, or the animal. The Zoo’s security, animal care, and veterinary teams train for these scenarios and responded in a textbook and professional manner. The Zoo has reopened as normal.”

Video footage of the incident obtained by WTTV shows the primate climbing on top of her exhibit and hiding behind trees.

A source told the outlet that the animal is believed to be one of the zoo’s female chimps, named Mara. She moved to Indianapolis from a zoo in Puerto Rico in 2023, according to the Indiana zoo.

Visitors who spoke to WTTV also shared that they were asked to stay inside the zoo’s dolphin exhibit amid the lockdown, and social media posts also show visitors inside their cars as they waited for the zoo to reopen.

One woman who was accompanying students on a field trip to the zoo told the outlet that her group was allowed to move from inside the zoo to the nearby welcome center.

“Shortly after that, we heard some stirring of the chimpanzees,” Fanchon Bush told WTTV. “They were walking along the boardwalk.”

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By 11:45 a.m., police and zoo officials confirmed to WTTV that the loose chimp had been contained. The outlets reported that the chimpanzee was sedated and taken back to her exhibit.

The zoo reopened to the public by 12 p.m. local time, WISH added, and no injuries were reported.

According to its website, the Indianapolis Zoo is home to 21 chimpanzees, comprising eight males and 13 females, with ages ranging from 13 to 59 years old.