Four orangutans had to be tranquilized and moved back into their enclosure after a malfunctioning door allowed them to escape into a service hallway Wednesday at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Spokesperson Jake Kubie said the one male and three female apes did not come into contact with zoo guests after entering the employees-only area, but the exhibit was closed to the public when workers became aware of the breach about 3:45 p.m.
“Everybody’s back to normal, and operations are back to normal,” Kubie said Friday morning. “These events are very rare, but our animal care teams are prepared for any potential scenario. We handled it very smoothly.”
He said the zoo is investigating what caused the door to fail.
Female Sumatran orangutans can stand up to 4 feet tall and weigh as much as 150 pounds, while males can grow up to 6 feet and 250 pounds, according to the zoo’s website.
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