Thursday, April 14, 2016

High Wire Chimp Swings on Power Lines After Zoo Escape

A runaway chimpanzee in Japan was shot with a tranquilizer gun only to hang precariously from a power line before falling to the ground and surviving in a drama shown live on national television.

The chimp, 24-year-old Chacha, escaped from Sendai Yagiyama Zoological Park with keepers in hot pursuit but climbed up an electricity pole. Zoo officials shot the chimp with the tranquiliser which eventually kicked in and caused him to lose his footing, though he managed to grab hold of a power line with one hand. 

Seconds later however Chacha lost his grip and fell, live footage on Japanese TV showed.
Chacha bounced off a lower cable before plummeting headfirst towards the ground where waiting rescuers tried to break the fall with a plastic sheet. He was then wrapped in a blanket before being placed into a zoo ambulance.

No comments: