The Kansas City Zoo went into a brief lockdown when an orangutan nearly escaped the exhibit last Sunday afternoon. Visitors at the zoo were taken into buildings as a safety precaution after an orangutan was seen on the outer perimeter wall of the exhibit. According to Zoo officials, the 7-year-old female orangutan named Kali, did not escape from the exhibit itself but strangely escaped in the outer perimeter. The employees working at the zoo led the guests into safe areas throughout the complex while the situation was being handled, which is a common safety protocol if a zoo animal is loose. A witness claims they were in the tropical exhibit when a zoo employee asked them to stay inside the building. The zoo employee said there was a code red which means an animal was loose. The witness says they remained in a building for about half an hour and then were allowed to go back outside to resume their visit. Zoo officials said the orangutans would remain indoors until they figure out how Kali was able to climb the wall. The Orangutan Canopy, which is the zoo’s special orangutan exhibit opened last year. Expert rock climbers were used to test the walls to determine whether an orangutan could climb them. The escape in Kansas City came just two days after an orangutan escaped from Busch Gardens in Florida. Busch Gardens was able to capture and returned to the orangutan to the enclosure.
If you have been injured while visiting a themed park or zoo, please seek legal assistance from a reputable personal injury law firm. Attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC, are St. Louis’ experts in premises liability law. Take the first step towards resolving your personal injury claim by contacting Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC, at your earliest convenience.