Brown Spider Monkey Escapes After Roughhousing and Diving; Taipei Zoo Denies Bullying

Taipei Zoo experienced another animal escape today. The zoo explained that it occurred during roughhousing among the brown spider monkeys. Keepers discovered the incident immediately, and the escaped individual has since returned to the holding area to rest and is in good health. The zoo emphasized that the animal was not bullied.

The brown spider monkeys in the Taipei Zoo's Rainforest zone consist of a bachelor group. Due to frequent squabbles and fights within the group, their social hierarchy is constantly changing, and individuals have even been ostracized to the point of not being able to integrate, requiring keepers to mediate. Thus, the zoo has described them as a "brat pack."

The zoo stated that keepers discovered around 9 AM today that Paco, who currently holds a lower social rank, was being chased by three other individuals. In a moment of panic, Paco jumped into the water feature next to the enclosure, swam to the other side, and moved towards the visitor pathway. A capture operation was immediately launched.

The zoo expressed gratitude to visitors for their timely reports of Paco's location, which enabled his safe return from a tree in the Children's Zoo area around 11 AM. After a veterinary examination confirmed Paco's good health, he is currently resting in the holding area and will be reintroduced to the exhibit once his condition is stable.

The zoo explained that brown spider monkeys are social animals with rich social behaviors. They groom each other, roughhouse, snatch food, and compete for leadership. Today's incident was likely due to Paco being nervous and running around when encountering the other three individuals, rather than being bullied or harassed. However, the zoo will continue to monitor the group's interactions.

This incident follows the escape of the small anteater "Hei Niu" in May. "Hei Niu" had entered an adjacent faux rock tunnel through broken banana tree branches and leaves in the outdoor activity area, then proceeded to the bromeliad garden area next to the visitor pathway, and was eventually found leisurely strolling on the park road before being safely returned. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 0704115