Don't Panic, But Some Chimpanzees Got Loose Inside the Kansas City Zoo

An unknown number of chimpanzees are loose inside the Kansas City Zoo right now while staff and visitors remain locked inside the buildings as safety precautions.

An unknown number of chimpanzees escaped their usual living area inside the Kansas City Zoo on Thursday, sending staff and visitors into a bit of a panic. The chimps have since returned to their usual habitat.

The Kansas City Star reported "more than one" chimpanzee escaped Thursday afternoon, and roamed in a "behind-the-scenes" area of the zoo, away from the visitors who were locked away safely. “As a precaution we have all of our visitors in locked buildings, in safety areas,” zoo spokesperson Julie Neemeyer told the Star. Local news outlet KSHB-41 reports the Africa exhibit was last inspected in 2012, citing USDA information. The exhibit housed 14 chimpanzees at the time.

No one knows how the chimpanzees escaped, but intrepid local news choppers kept a dutiful eye on the zoo as the chimps enjoyed their new found freedom:

Chimp on the loose, hanging out on a wall at the KC Zoo. #KansasCity pic.twitter.com/gZon55u1Cj

— 41 Action News (@41ActionNews) April 10, 2014

PIC: Chimps on the loose inside the Kansas City Zoo - this one is walking atop a wall, then chill’n - @KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/kEq7Dhk7Cv

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) April 10, 2014

Zoo officials are investigating the escape as we speak. The zoo is now closed for the evening.