Parisian Zoo Recaptures 50 Escaped Baboons

Parisian Zoo Recaptures 50 Escaped Baboons

The Vincennes Zoo in Paris was evacuated Friday morning after a group of 50 baboons revolted against their captors.

Baboons at the Vicennes Zoo (AP)

The Guardian reports:

About 50 baboons were reported to have got out and congregated around the Grand Rocher, the fake rock centrepiece of the zoo, on Friday morning. Most had been rounded up and sent back to their shelters a few hours later, but four remained on the loose.

That report continues that the baboons didn’t cross any parkgoers, since they stayed in parts of the park visitors couldn’t access. Most of the animals have been returned to their enclosure. Many of those were caught “in a net,” reports the Telegraph, though no one has yet described how that particular feat went down.

Baboons are large monkeys that live in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where they generally are not kept in cages but are much more susceptible to starvation, disease and violent death. They eat pretty much whatever, according to National Geographic. Also, they can brutally attack humans, which is no good.

Looking at animals is fun, so we capture them and put them in zoos. Zoos can be very good places where research is carried out and the public learns about the animals, and where endangered species are kept alive. They can also be horrible places where the animals are treated like garbage. This zoo was overhauled from 2008 to 2014, reports the Telegraph, to be “more respectful” of the animals. I happen to like zoos.

We aren’t baboons, so we don’t really know how they feel about confinement. I hope they had a chance to enjoy their Parisian freedom before being captured once again.

[via The Guardian]


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