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Chimpanzee Escapes Indianapolis Zoo Enclosure

Incident Date:
11/14/2025
Location:
Indianapolis, IN - USA
Facility Name:
Indianapolis Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Escape of animal (EA)
Species:
Primates
Animal:
Chimpanzee
Animal disposition:
Recaptured

Summary:

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A female chimpanzee escaped her enclosure at the Indianapolis Zoo on Friday morning around 10 a.m., prompting a lockdown and swift emergency response from zoo staff.

“At approximately 10 a.m., a female chimpanzee was seen outside her exhibit,” the zoo said in a statement posted to Facebook. The animal was later sedated and safely returned to her habitat, with no injuries reported. “Following emergency protocol, the zoo was immediately locked down, and all guests were escorted to secure locations,” the zoo also said. “The chimpanzee was sedated and returned to her exhibit.” Visitors were escorted to secure indoor areas while staff tracked and recaptured the chimpanzee.

As of Friday afternoon, the zoo confirmed that all operations had resumed normally.

Action take by Born Free USA:

Notes: