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Sydney baboon escape: police confirm three animals recaptured at Royal Prince Alfred hospital Sydney baboon escape: police confirm three animals recaptured at Royal Prince Alfred hospital
(about 1 hour later)
NSW police say they were called to incident next to University of Sydney in Camperdown area of the cityNSW police say they were called to incident next to University of Sydney in Camperdown area of the city
Three baboons have been recaptured after they were spotted on the loose at a major Sydney hospital, triggering a police response and a flurry of interest online. Three baboons have been recaptured after they were spotted on the loose at a major Sydney hospital on Tuesday afternoon, triggering a police response and questions about what kind of facility the animals had escaped from.
Police told Guardian Australia on Tuesday evening that they were attending “an incident of that nature” when asked if reports of baboons on the loose were true. Callers to Sydney talkback radio station 2GB were first to report that they’d seen primates running about the area of the Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) hospital, which is just outside the central business district and is adjacent to the University of Sydney.
Callers to Sydney talkback radio station 2GB were first to report that they’d seen apes running loose in the area.
A caller told presenter Ben Fordham that he’d seen three baboons.A caller told presenter Ben Fordham that he’d seen three baboons.
“Mate I’m deadset serious, I’m at RPA, I’m six floors up and I was just having a gaze out at the carpark… and there were three baboons in the carpark,” he said. “I’m deadset serious. They even had shiny red bottoms.”“Mate I’m deadset serious, I’m at RPA, I’m six floors up and I was just having a gaze out at the carpark… and there were three baboons in the carpark,” he said. “I’m deadset serious. They even had shiny red bottoms.”
Another caller said her daughter and her colleagues had been chasing the animals. Another caller said her daughter and her daughter’s colleagues had been chasing the animals.
“My daughter is an occupational therapist at RPA and she said ‘yes mum, I’ve just helped wrangle them’,” the caller said.“My daughter is an occupational therapist at RPA and she said ‘yes mum, I’ve just helped wrangle them’,” the caller said.
New South Wales police confirmed on Tuesday evening that they had recaptured the animals. The incident initially prompted mirth on social media, which increasingly gave way to concern for the welfare of the primates.
“Just after 5:30pm officers from Inner West Police Area Command were called to a car park on Missiden Road and Lucas St Camperdown, after reports three baboons escaped while being transported,” a NSW police spokesperson said. New South Wales police confirmed on Tuesday evening that they had recaptured three animals just over an hour after reports first emerged.
“Just after 5:30pm officers from Inner West Police Area Command were called to a car park on Missenden Road and Lucas St, Camperdown, after reports three baboons escaped while being transported,” a NSW police spokesperson said.
“They are currently contained and police are working with experts to safely return them to their facility.“They are currently contained and police are working with experts to safely return them to their facility.
“There is no immediate danger to the public but people are advised to avoid the area,” she said.“There is no immediate danger to the public but people are advised to avoid the area,” she said.
A spokesperson from the University of Sydney told Guardian Australia that they were looking into the incident. The incident prompted questions about where the baboons were being transported from and to and for what precise purpose, as well as how they managed to escape, and whether or not their escape was aided.
The baboons join a long tradition of animals breaking loose from captivity and embracing the freedom of the big city. In 2016, Sydney Morning Herald reported that there was a colony of baboons bred for medical research in western Sydney. The University of Sydney said at the time that research on primates was limited but that “a small number” were still being tested on.
They include two water buffalo, which escaped from a movie set in Newtown, Sydney, and chased pedestrians down King Street; two llamas chased by police through the streets of Sun City, Arizona in 2015; and three lions that escaped from a circus on Mindil beach, Darwin, and caused all kinds of havoc before they were caught – including gatecrashing a wedding in the botanical gardens. A spokesperson from the University of Sydney told Guardian Australia that they were looking into Tuesday’s incident. NSW Health have been contacted for comment.
Greens senator and animal welfare spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi said on Twitter before the animals were recaptured that she wished them well in their “bid for freedom”.
The baboons are not the first animals to have broken from captivity and caused havoc in city surrounds.
Other notable urban escapees include two water buffalo, which escaped from a movie set in Newtown, Sydney, in 2014 and chased pedestrians down King Street; two llamas chased by police through the streets of Sun City, Arizona in 2015; and three lions that escaped from a circus on Mindil beach, Darwin, in 1984 and caused all kinds of chaos before they were caught – including gatecrashing a wedding in the botanical gardens.