A troupe of three baboons escaped a medical research facility in a Sydney hospital late Tuesday afternoon, after the lock on the door of the the animals’ transport vehicle reportedly failed.
The male baboon was en route to have a vasectomy, but escaped his transport with two females in one last, desperate attempt at preserving his manhood. New South Wales police received reports of the jailbreak around 5.30pm.
Eyewitness footage from the scene shows understandably shocked passersby fleeing the area as the baboons made good their escape.
The baboons thankfully sought refuge in a quiet corner of a car park, before they could cause any harm to themselves or unsuspecting members of the public wandering the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital campus.
The 15-year-old male baboon and his two younger female companions were eventually sedated by experts from Sydney's Taronga Zoo. It is believed they are involved in studies on diet, exercise and electric shock, as well as gestational diabetes and kidney disease.
“This is not a Mandrill! Earlier this afternoon, a troop of baboons escaped from a facility and were going bananas in Camperdown. Police and wildlife handlers now have the situation under control, so please let them do their job and don't be tempted to pry, mates,” New South Wales police said in a social media post.
The incident had Aussies all atwitter on Tuesday afternoon. A Green Party politician expressed her support for the baboons, while some took issue with the appalling pun-ishment the animals had to endure at the hands of the police force's social media manager.
Many others seized the opportunity to take the police to task for the ongoing scandal about the reported strip searching of minors at several recent festivals in the country.
Never tweet amidst an uproar, Aussie police. Better still, never tweet.
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