ADELAIDE, Australia - A zoo in Australia was evacuated today after an "ingenious" 137-pound orangutan short-circuited an electric fence and hopped a wall surrounding her enclosure.
The ape, a 27-year-old female named Karta, jammed a stick into wires connected to the fence and then piled up debris to climb a concrete and glass wall at the Adelaide Zoo.
Zoo curator Peter Whitehead says Karta sat on top of the fence for about 30 minutes before apparently changing her mind about the escape and climbing back into the enclosure.
Karta came within a few metres of visitors, who were the first to notice the animal's escape bid.
Whitehead says the animal was not aggressive, but the zoo was cleared as a precaution, and veterinarians stood by with tranquilizer guns in case of trouble.
Officials at the zoo in the southern city of Adelaide plan to conduct a "thorough review" of the escape bid and it is likely some vegetation that could be used in a future try for freedom will be removed from Karta's enclosure.
