Chaos as monkey runs amok in airport
A RESEARCH monkey headed for a new life in an animal sanctuary made a break for freedom when his flight landed at the San Antonio International Airport and he slipped out of his cage.
The rhesus macaque named Dawkins was due to be taken from Boston's Logan Airport to the Born Free USA primate sanctuary, about an hour-and-a-half south of San Antonio, when he escaped inside an airport baggage-handling area after touching down in Texas, the New York Post reported.
#BREAKING: Baboon out of its crate, on the loose at San Antonio Airport. @CBS8 pic.twitter.com/FPuY0qXbGB
— Barbara Richards (@sdbrichards) May 21, 2018
"After the arrival of American Airlines 1014, a monkey that was en route to a local animal sanctuary and refuge in the San Antonio-area inadvertently became free of his cage," American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said.
Dawkins was captured and is currently en route to his new home, according to Mr Feinstein.
"This has sort of delayed things, certainly, but he should be at the sanctuary later today," Born Free CEO Prashant Khetan said.
#Monkey UPDATE: A baboon is on the loose in the SA International Airport. We're told the animal was flown to SA on an American Airlines flight from Brown University in New Jersey. He somehow escaped his cage while being transported to cargo. #KSATnews pic.twitter.com/HSWoRTWGDB
— RJ Marquez (@KSATRJ) May 21, 2018
Mr Khetan wouldn't say who was responsible for the monkey's escape.
"As you can imagine, there are legal consequences to this," he said.
Local media reported the animal originated from Brown University. The school did not respond to a request for comment.
American Airlines said it will investigate the incident.
This originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission.
