Guests Shelter in Place During Indianapolis Zoo Lockdown After Chimpanzee Escapes Exhibit

A chimpanzee is safely back in her enclosure after briefly escaping at the Indianapolis Zoo and prompting a precautionary lockdown for guests.

Local news outlets WTTV and WISH–TV reported that visitors were asked to shelter in place Friday morning, Nov. 14, after the primate was seen outside her enclosure, moving across an outdoor area. The Indianapolis Fire Department responded at 10:10 a.m., per WTTV.

The zoo shared a statement saying that around 10 a.m., a female chimpanzee was spotted outside her exhibit. Emergency protocols were immediately activated, including securing guests in safe indoor areas. The chimpanzee was later sedated and brought back to her habitat. No injuries occurred, and the zoo praised its staff’s training and swift response. Operations resumed shortly afterward.

Video obtained by WTTV showed the chimp climbing near her exhibit and ducking behind trees. A zoo source told the outlet the animal is believed to be Mara, one of the female chimpanzees who arrived from a Puerto Rico zoo in 2023.

Visitors told WTTV they were temporarily directed into the zoo’s dolphin exhibit during the lockdown, and some social media posts showed guests waiting inside their vehicles until the situation was resolved.

One woman accompanying students on a field trip shared that her group was escorted to a nearby welcome center before they heard movement from the chimpanzee area. “They were walking along the boardwalk,” Fanchon Bush told WTTV.

By approximately 11:45 a.m., police and zoo officials confirmed to WTTV that the loose chimpanzee had been contained, sedated, and returned to her exhibit. The zoo reopened to visitors by noon, according to WISH-TV.

The Indianapolis Zoo’s website notes that it is home to 21 chimpanzees ranging in age from 13 to 59, including eight males and 13 females.