TWYCROSS ZOO,

near Leicester, was forced to close at the weekend after a gibbon escaped from its enclosure. Visitors were corralled into a restaurant and the gates were locked while Darwin, a Siamang gibbon, was recaptured.

The Siamang is the largest of the gibbon family, with an arm-span of around five feet.

While gibbons have been known to lash out in captivity, there are no reports of human fatalities.

Puzzled visitors were initially told that the zoo had been closed because of a ‘health and safety’ emergency.

Elf’n’safety? At this rate, it won’t be long before all zoo animals, including gibbons, are forced to wear hi-viz jackets and hard hats at all times. In the event, Darwin got bored after ten minutes and turned himself in.

A couple of years ago, a gorilla who escaped from London Zoo drank five litres of undiluted blackcurrant squash while he was on the loose.

Given the heat, Darwin was probably only popping out to buy an ice cream.