A troop of Barbary macaques managed to break out from a zoo in Baden-Württemberg on Thursday. Police suspect the monkeys took advantage of ongoing construction works to make their escape.

Escape from the zoo

On Thursday, 25 Barbary macaques managed to escape their enclosures and flee from a zoo in the town of Löffingen. The monkeys were spotted enjoying their day out around the local neighbourhood.

Zookeepers moved quickly to try and recapture them, but this initially proved fruitless, as they managed to evade capture and escaped from sight.

However, by the evening, all of the primates had been rounded up and taken back to the zoo. The police said that ongoing construction work near the zoo might have enabled the monkeys to escape from their enclosure. "The animals apparently took advantage of the nice weather and spent the afternoon on the edge of a forest near the zoo," said a police spokesperson.