Chimpanzee Escapes from Ukraine Zoo But Returns on Bike Once it Starts to Rain
A chimp escapee returned to her zoo home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in style — on a bike and dressed in a yellow raincoat.
The primate escaped from the Kharkiv Zoo and at first appeared reluctant to return, based on footage of the chimp, named Chichi, exploring the streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.
In the video, Chichi wanders around a local park while zookeepers try to encourage her to approach them. Chichi explores on her own until it starts to rain. Once the chimpanzee begins to dampen, she runs to a keeper, dons a yellow jacket, and hugs her human friend. The clip concludes with Chichi getting wheeled back to the zoo on a bike.
Kharkiv Zoo's director, Oleksiy Hryhoriev, confirmed to Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne that the animal returned to the zoo safely, The Guardian reported.
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Chichi has not lived at the Kharkiv Zoo for long. The chimpanzee was evacuated to the zoo after Russia's attacks on Ukraine started to affect her home, an outdoor zoo called Feldman Ecopark.
In April, Feldman Ecopark confirmed the death of two employees who went missing in March amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The zoo shared the news of the deaths in a press release and videos on Facebook and Instagram.
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On April 5, the zoo's founder, Alexander Feldman, shared a statement on the current state of the zoo in which he acknowledged Feldman Ecopark "doesn't exist anymore" because of the damaged it has sustained.
Russia launched its large-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
aThe Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
