A fugitive simian is back behind bars after leading officials on a five-day chase across Yangon.
An official from the Yangon Zoo yesterday told 黑料社 Yangon that the monkey, whose devil-may-care attitude and anti-authoritarian streak have made him an online folk hero, was finally caught after many near misses.
鈥淗e was captured yesterday afternoon,鈥 said the zoo worker who would not divulge his name. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 from our zoo. Someone might have adopted him and set him free. We have to keep him for now until his owner comes for him.鈥
In recent days, monkey sightings were reported in several townships. On Friday, he was cruising around 94th Street and the Thein Gone Monastery in Mingalar Taung Nyunt township. Residents and firefighters called the zoo, but he evaded capture.
On Saturday, he was spotted again in the neighborhoods of Botahtaung, next to Mingalar Taung Nyunt, and fled successfully again. The residents called officials to nab him, but the monkey tricked them by using his natural gifts to jump between high and low ground before running away again.
鈥淥n November 1, we got another report of the monkey near Than Lyat Soon, but he wasn’t there when we arrived. We are doing all our best to find his exact location now,鈥 a resolute zoo official the next day.
According to the zoo鈥檚 report, the male monkey wasn鈥檛 one of theirs as it only has female and baby monkeys right now.
His freedom and free reign over pandemic-ravaged Yangon was celebrated online.
鈥淭here鈥檚 COVID-19, and there鈥檚 an election. And now there鈥檚 you!鈥 Facebooker Chan Myae Aung wrote in the group.
鈥淭here he is, a monkey 鈥 on the loose, visiting 94th street!鈥 Zawwin Tun posted along with atop a building.
鈥淗e鈥檚 on the way to vote!鈥 someone else speculated.
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