Four chimpanzees shot after they fled Swedish park

In a scene that will horrify animal lovers all over the world, four chimpanzees were shot after they fled from an amusement park in Sweden. Three of the chimps died as a result.

The incident emerged when five chimpanzees escaped from their enclosure at Furuviksparken amusement park just outside Gävle in eastern Sweden, on Wednesday.

The park launched a drone search effort to find the animals. Four of the chimps were shot because the park said they did not have enough tranquilisers to subdue them all.

Furuviksparken press officer Annika Troselius declared the incident a tragedy to local Swedish news channel SVT.

“We had vets on the scene, but they made the assessment that we didn’t have enough anaesthetic. That’s why we called for the marksmen. This whole situation is tragic in every possible way. We take full responsibility.

“We have to be sure the last chimpanzees are actually in the enclosure, and this must be done with great care.

“Chimpanzees are strong animals and have a high-risk classification. Our staff are not allowed to work in close contact with them.”

The fifth escaped chimpanzee was unharmed, as it returned to the enclosure of its own accord, while one of the chimpanzees shot was only wounded and is back in the enclosure. The three remaining chimpanzees never left the enclosure.

Furuviksparken, currently closed for the season, has seven chimpanzees and is reportedly the only primate research station in the Nordic region. It said in a statement it did not know how the animals had escaped but would investigate.

The news comes only a couple of days after another tragic animal case.

A humpback whale with a broken spine defied all odds after journeying 3,000 miles by performing the breaststroke.

The whale, nicknamed Moon, was spotted off the coast of British Columbia with a visibly crooked lower body that researchers say was caused by being hit by a boat. But, the whale persevered by doing the breaststroke for a whopping 3,000 miles to complete its annual migration pattern to warmer waters.