Orangutan makes break for freedom at Audubon Zoo

An orangutan creatively found a way to get out out of his enclosure at Audubon Zoo today.

Barani, one of three orangutans at the Zoo, escaped to freedom over a wall, despite an electrified “live wire” on the wall designed to keep him from scaling the wall.

Zoo spokeswoman Sarah Burnette says that Barani used a t-shirt, given as an “enrichment item,” as a tool to spring himself.

“He managed to stretch out an old t-shirt and wrap it around the wires that are around the edge of the exhibit,” she said. “And he used the t-shirt to swing himself out, and climb over the railing.”

Burnette said that once outside the exhibit, Barani wandered around for about fifteen minutes.

“When the zookeepers were made aware of what was going on, there were about fifteen people standing about 50 feet away, pointing at Barani,” she said. “He was standing under the oaks on the boardwalk, like a visitor would.”

She said that the workers eventually persuaded the primate to return to his exhibit.

“We definitely won’t be giving him any more t-shirts,” according to Burnette.