Zookeepers desperately hunted for the monkey on nearby residential streets. The animal was hit by a car on the M2, which passes near to the zoo. The monkey has died. Belfast City Council confirmed that the animal was hit by a passing car on the motorway. “Unfortunately, it got onto the motorway and was clipped by a car,” a spokesperson said. A spokesperson for Belfast zoo confirmed an investigation is now underway. The spokesperson added: “This is the first time this has happened. It’s a relatively new monkey being introduced. We are still investigating how he escaped as there is a moat around the island.”
It is not the first time monkeys have escaped from the zoo. However, on previous occasions, the primates were found and saved. “Belfast City Council has a duty of care to look after all the animals at Belfast Zoo,” said Michael Long, an Alliance Party councillor in Lisnasharragh. “Therefore, a review of security in relation to the housing of animals at the zoo needs carried out urgently, particularly as monkeys have previously escaped from there in the past few years.”
