Suzi, the lone chimpanzee at the Nehru Zoological Park here, gave anxious moments to officials on Monday after it escaped from its enclosure and attacked a gardener.
The incident took place around 12.30 p.m. when maintenance works were going on the 380-acre campus. “Somehow Suzi managed to escape from the night house and attacked gardener A. Yadaiah, who first encountered the animal,” zoo curator N. Kshitija said told The Hindu . Yadaiah suffered minor injuries and was given an anti-rabies injection.
Ms. Kshitija said within 20 minutes, the veterinary team tracked down the 33-year-old chimpanzee and tranquilised her after which she was moved back into the enclosure. There were no visitors as Monday is a holiday for the zoo. However, over 100 people were working on campus.
Suzi, which was a pet of Sahara Group chairperson Subrata Roy, managed to open the door of the night enclosure, which was not locked, sources in the zoo said. Earlier in 2013, she had escaped from the same night house and spent a couple of hours roaming on campus before being sedated.
Her lavish lifestyle makes her unique among other inmates at the zoo. Every morning, Suzi brushes her teeth with a new toothbrush before having a cup of hot coffee and milk energy drink of a particular brand. It only drinks bottled water and has a special diet which includes select fruits, specially grapes and banana, and vegetables.
Moreover, it takes a bath with her favourite soap, Pears, twice a week and gets a hot oil massage from her caretaker.
