Whenever an animal escapes captivity things have the potential to go wrong.
Unfortunately most animals aren't held remotely close to their natural habitat, (if such a habitat still exists), and escaping typically poses massive risks to surrounding humans or the animal itself.
But every now and then the perfect story arises of an animal that earns its freedom and keeps it for good.
Here are 20 animal escape artists that got loose.
1
Ken Allen, Orangutan
This San Diego Zoo Orangutan repeatedly escaped from his enclosure in the ‘80s, unscrewing bolts, fixing latches, and using his climbing ability to his advantage. He never went far, and happily returned each time upon capture.
2
East African Crane
After escaping from a zoo in Washington, this East African Crane was found hanging with some blue herons.
3
Flaco, Eurasian Eagle-Owl
After escaping the Central park zoo, Flaco lived in New York for over a year before being recaptured.
4
Bokito, Gorilla
This male gorilla once climbed his enclosure’s fence in Berlin. Then, a few years later in the Netherlands, he responded to children throwing rocks at him by leaping his moat, climbing the fence, and attacking a woman who frequented the zoo and its primate enclosure. He also entered a restaurant in the zoo before being tranquilized and returned.
5
Mia, Cobra
Mia the cobra shut down New York’s Bronx Zoo for a week after escaping, and surviving the entire time.
7
Sami, Chimpanzee
The director of the Belgrade Zoo tries to convince Sami to return home after he escaped, 1988.
8
Parakeets
London has a growing wild parakeet population, after some escaped from the London Zoo in the ‘80s, evading capture.
9
Zebra
This Zebra in Korea escaped and took rescuers on a wild chase.
13
Chimpanzee
A Chimpanzee in Japan, leaping at rescuers from a power line.
14
Kangaroo
As seen outside of a zoo in Toronto.
15
Giraffe
Woman runs from an escaped zoo giraffe in Italy.
16
Seal
Following flooding in Duluth, MN, multiple animals escaped from the zoo in 2012.
17
Emus
“A pair of pet Emus escaped in my old hometown in Pennsylvania. Third time this year.”
18
Barbary Ape
This Barbary Ape in Denmark’s Blåvand Zoo escaped and evaded capture multiple times. Zoo officials said they would be forced to euthanize it if it continued to evade capture, but could survive just fine outside its enclosure. Unfortunately, the monkey was found dead on its own a few months later.
19
Hippo
After bad flooding in Georgia, (the country), destroyed the Tbilisi zoo, lions, tigers, this hippo, and more wound up on the loose.
20
Crocodile
Tbilisi, continued. Unfortunately, many of the animals did not survive the flood or its aftermath.
21
Meerkat
Standing outside its enclosure.
22
Squirrel
As seen in the National Zoo in Washington DC. It’s unclear why it needed to be captured.
23
Lion
As seen roaming the streets of Essex, England.
24
Gladys, Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Gladys, (not the owl shown here), escaped during a routine exercise and training. Tragically, she was struck by a car before recapture.
25
Nova, Clouded Leopard
Nova, a clouded leopard from the Dallas Zoo remained at large for several hours after somebody cut the fence of her enclosure.
