Baboon Escaped From Vasectomy Operation At Testing Lab And Fled With Two Female Monkeys

A group of baboons were spotted out on the loose outside a Sydney hospital after escaping from a nearby research facility, according to New South Wales Police.

Cops told Nine News that officers had been on the scene outside Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney after being contacted at around 5.30pm on Tuesday, confirming the three baboons had escaped from a research facility.

In an update, NSW Police tweeted to say the situation was now under control, saying: "Earlier this afternoon, a troop of baboons escaped from a facility and were going bananas in Camperdown.

"Police and wildlife handlers now have the situation under control, so please let them do their job and don't be tempted to pry, mates."

Joining in on the simian-based wordplay, Victoria Police also replied on Twitter: "Chimpion tweet!"

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told the Guardian Australia the 15-year-old male baboon was due to have a vasectomy and was being accompanied by his two wives to keep him calm.

The group of baboons were on their way to the animal research facilites at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital from their colony, and had managed to escape thanks to a faulty lock on the truck they were travelling in.

Hazzard said: "He was having a vasectomy because there's no desire for him to continue to breed for the troop, and the other option was to move him from the troop.

PA

"This way, he can stay with his family through until old age."

Hazzard explained the baboons were part of a colony bred for research, and had been around for about 20 years.

These particular baboons, however, were not being transported for research, Hazzard said.

He added: "I understand they're extremely well cared for.

"They are quite placid and behaving themselves far better than one would expect."

Many witnesses called in to local radio station 2GB, saying they'd seen primates running around outside the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, which sits alongside the University of Sydney, just outside Sydney's central business district.

One caller said he'd seen three balloons, telling presenter Ben Fordham: "Mate I'm deadset serious, I'm at RPA, I'm six floors up and I was just having a gaze out at the car park... and there were three baboons in the car park."

He added: "I'm deadset serious. They even had shiny red bottoms."

Another person called in to say her daughter and daughter's colleagues had also been chasing the animals, saying: "My daughter is an occupational therapist at RPA and she said, 'yes mum, I've just helped wrangle them'."

Topics: World News, News, Weird, Animals, Australia

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

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