TAMPA, Fla.– People on Twitter say they were at Busch Gardens when an Orangutan escaped its enclosure. It’s been captured after over an hour, officials with FWC confirmed.
“I’M AT BUSCH GARDENS AND THEY JUST MADE US EVACUATE CERTAIN AREAS OF THE PARK BECAUSE AN ORANGUTAN IS LOOSE,” Amber Whitaker tweeted.
“An orangutan just escaped its sanctuary at Busch Gardens and fell out of a tree right near me,” a user with the handle @MillerTLex said.
Busch Gardens representative Karen Varga-Sinka confirmed via a text message:
“This afternoon, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay moved guests safely out of the Stanleyville area of the park when a female orangutan was outside her habitat. The animal care team responded immediately and the animal is back safely and securely in the habitat without incident. The safety of our guests, employees and animals is our number one priority.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer James Boogaerts said that the animal has been tranquilized, captured and placed back into the enclosure.
This is not the first time a Busch Gardens orangutan got out of its enclosure. Just last month, on June 16, a juvenile male left his habitat. Busch Gardens officials said then they weren’t sure how the orangutan escaped. It’s unclear whether it’s the same orangutan in this case.
