Two monkeys escape from Cumbria zoo

Two monkeys have escaped from a zoo in Cumbria.

Cumbria Police said they received a call at 3pm on Sunday reporting a young female Capuchin monkey had escaped from the South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton.

Then, on Monday morning, they were called to the zoo to reports a second monkey had also escaped.

Police warned anyone who spotted the animals to exercise caution. Speaking to The Westmorland Gazette, a spokesman said: "Whilst this animal does not pose an immediate risk to the public, it is capable of biting or scratching anyone who attempts to approach it."

Police have appealed to anyone who sees the monkeys to contact the zoo on 01229 466086 in business hours, and at other times to call 101.

The South Lakes Wild Animal Park hit the headlines last year in May when zookeeper Sara McClay, 24, was mauled to death by one of its tigers.

And inquest last month revealed the male Sumatran tiger, Padang, walked through an open door to a corridor she was working in.

According to the BBC, the inquest heard how keepers and animals were supposed to be kept apart by lockable self-closing doors.

Padang managed to get through two sliding gates in its enclosure before going through the door to make it into the corridor where Miss McClay was standing. It pounced on her and dragged her by the neck into a den and through to an outside enclosure.

She suffered deep puncture wounds to her neck and body, and was airlifted to hospital but was later pronounced dead.

The inquest heard one of the bolts in the door was found to be faulty following the attack.