Maybe He Had An Early Tee Time

I don't know about you, but try sitting through a hot summer in the Tupelo Zoo, and you'll find creative ways to escape.

Monkey apparently picks lock, escapes

TUPELO, Mississippi - A monkey that freed himself two weeks ago from a Mississippi zoo has escaped again, zoo officials said. Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo Manager Kirk Nemecheck and other employees noticed the white-faced capuchin's cage open and lock on the ground around 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Oliver and another capuchin named Baby were found wandering nearby. Workers easily captured Baby, but Oliver fled the park headed in the direction of the Tupelo Country Club, Nemecheck said.

"This is the craziest thing I have ever seen," Nemecheck said. "I have heard of chimps and orangutans that can pick locks. I've also heard a guy who swears his raccoon can pick a lock, but I've never heard of a monkey who can pick a lock."

The 9-year-old capuchin, a species of monkey native to South and Central America, freed himself July 31 and led park staff on a chase through the park's trail system before eventually eluding them. He was apprehended Aug. 6 at Tupelo Stone & Masonry after being spotted by a motorist.

This marks the third time Oliver has escaped from the zoo. About six-years ago the monkey escaped and ran amok on the grounds of Tupelo Country Club before being captured and returned to the zoo.

To amuse the other monkeys, he also recreates how the World Trade Center collapsed in a controlled demolition.