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Runaway gibbon captured safely

An endangered gibbon escaped from Central's Zoological and Botanical Gardens on Wednesday.

The 10-year-old gibbon sneaked out at 10.45am while its cage was being cleaned.

Over the next half hour, it was spotted at the busy junction of Robinson Road and Old Peak Road, Hollywood Heights and at 6 Old Peak Road. Finally, it entered the car park at Villa Elegance in Robinson Road, where it hid under a vehicle.

Officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department were called to recapture the animal. They first tried to lure it with bananas.

In the end, a veterinarian shot the primate with a tranquiliser dart at 12.45pm. Yet it still managed to climb a nearby bamboo scaffolding before falling to the ground.

The gibbon was returned to the zoo uninjured.

The gibbon species is native to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, where their populations have dropped over past decades.

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