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According to the BBC and other sources, on December 16th (local time), the Fulvik Zoo near the Gävle region, 165 kilometers north of Stockholm, fired at a chimpanzee that had left its cage on the 14th.
Of the seven chimpanzees that escaped, three died, one was injured and the other three remained uncaptured. The zoo is conducting a search operation to find the three animals.
It is not known how the chimpanzee escaped from its cage.
However, the zoo's response has been criticized. This is because they shot and killed the chimpanzee instead of capturing it alive with a tranquilizer gun.
One researcher, who was familiar with escaped chimpanzees, emphasized that chimpanzees pose no threat to humans.
The researcher said, "If you meet the chimpanzee that has escaped from the zoo, you will be frightened, but it will not be a threat to your life."
Cognitive zoologists at Lund University who had previously worked with the zoo stopped collaborating after the incident.
A former custodian with a 30-year career accused them of failing to deal with zoo officials.
"Chimpanzees may appear to be gentle animals, but they are very dangerous. They are fast, strong and fearless," the zoo said in an interview with Swedish broadcaster TV4.
"There was a veterinarian at the scene, but they didn't have enough anesthetic", he said. "It can take up to 10 minutes for the anesthetic to take effect, so there is no guarantee of human safety during that time", he added.
"Our first goal was to prevent anyone from getting hurt," he stressed.
2022/12/23 09:37 KST
