Chimp shot after escaping from Austin research center

April 6, 2008

Chimp shot after escaping from Austin research center, grabbing dart gun5:26 PM CDT on Saturday, April 5, 2008

Associated Press

AUSTIN â€" A 140-pound

chimpanzee escaped from a research center by jumping more than 15 feet,

snatched a tranquilizer dart gun from an animal worker and threatened

police by flailing its arms before an officer shot and killed the

animal last month, according to a new report. Officials

said the University of Texas police officer who shot Tony shouted he

was going to shoot before firing at the 17-year-old chimpanzee.

Tony's escape and death were detailed in an internal report obtained by

the Austin American-Statesman through an open-records request.

The chimpanzee escaped March 12 from his area at the Keeling Center for

Comparative Medicine and Research in Bastrop. The center is managed by

the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Tony's escape was one of three at the center since November. Another

17-year-old chimp, Jake, got out of his enclosure in November and again

this week but was quickly recaptured each time. Tony got

out by bounding 15 feet from a jungle gym and grabbing the top of a

corral wall, according to the report. Tranquilizer darts failed to stop

him. According to the report, the police officer, who was

not named, saw Tony jump into a truck bed and lunge at an attendant. "The chimpanzee took the attendant's dart gun away from him and discarded it," the report said.

The chimp either fell off the truck or jumped from it when the truck

sped up, according to the report. The officer said Tony started coming

toward him. "The chimpanzee started flailing its arms.

The officer shouted at least twice that he was going to shoot," the

report said. "In fear for his safety, the officer then fired several

times, striking the chimpanzee." The officer fell

backward while firing his gun, but the chimpanzee kept coming toward

him, the report said. The officer didn't know how many times he fired

at the animal, according to the report, "because the threat was still

coming at him." The officer has since returned to duty, said Wendy Gottsegen, a spokeswoman for M.D. Anderson. The center said it would tighten security.